US dollar rises sharply on higher yields

US 10-year bond yield boosts greenback

The US dollar rallied sharply against the major currencies overnight as US 10-year bond yields surged back above 1.60%. The dollar index of major currencies rose sharply by 0.58% to 96.22 overnight, more than offsetting the previous day’s falls and leaving major technical support at 95.50 intact once again.

EUR/USD has fallen 0.70% to 1.1300 and has traced out a number of failures ahead of 1.1400 resistance. Failure of support at 1.1270 heralds a retest of 1.1200. GBP/USD has fallen 0.40% to 1.3470, with resistance at 1.3550, last week’s high and the 100-day moving average (DMA). Failure of support at 1.3400 signals the next leg lower. The widening US/Japan rate differential has pushed USD/JPY 40 points higher to 115.75 today, Asia’s biggest FX mover. Assuming that US yields remain elevated, there is nothing on the charts to stop a rally to 118.00 in the coming weeks.

The US dollar rally stopped the AUD, NZD and CAD rallies in their track, marking an abrupt end to their holiday season rallies. Although equities rallied on diminishing omicron fears, that same situation has allowed US yields to rise sharply, lifting the US dollar. The US dollar rally could peter out if sentiment remains strong, but the moves in equities and currencies highlight what a messy year could be ahead, without the unifying theme of the post-vaccine recovery central bank back-stop in play. In the meantime, AUD/USD has fallen to 0.7200 overnight and is in danger of retesting 0.7100. NZD/USD has fallen to 0.67800 and could revisit 0.6700 initially, and USD/CAD moving higher to 1.2800.

With USD/CNY anchored around 6.3700, and China content with monetary settings for now, including daily liquidity via the repo, Asian currencies have remained anchored as well. However, some cracks are starting to appear, with USD/KRW rising to 1194.50 today and USD/MYR jumping higher to 4.1800. If US yields continue to move higher this week, Asian FX weakness could become more widespread, with INR, PHP, and IDR the most vulnerable to widening yield differential perceptions.

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Jeffrey Halley

Jeffrey Halley

Senior Market Analyst, Asia Pacific, from 2016 to August 2022
With more than 30 years of FX experience – from spot/margin trading and NDFs through to currency options and futures – Jeffrey Halley was OANDA’s Senior Market Analyst for Asia Pacific, responsible for providing timely and relevant macro analysis covering a wide range of asset classes.

He has previously worked with leading institutions such as Saxo Capital Markets, DynexCorp Currency Portfolio Management, IG, IFX, Fimat Internationale Banque, HSBC and Barclays.

A highly sought-after analyst, Jeffrey has appeared on a wide range of global news channels including Bloomberg, BBC, Reuters, CNBC, MSN, Sky TV and Channel News Asia as well as in leading print publications such as The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, among others.

He was born in New Zealand and holds an MBA from the Cass Business School.