Pakistan Affairs

Tag: US dollar index

  • Rupee back to winning ways, settles at 261.9 against US dollar

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    The Pakistani rupee was back to winning ways against the US dollar, as the currency settled with a gain of 0.23% in the inter-bank market on Wednesday.

    As per the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), the currency closed at 261.90 against the US dollar, an increase of Re0.61. Despite the gain, the currency has depreciated 21.4% during the ongoing fiscal year against the greenback.

    The Pakistani rupee’s five-session positive run came to an end against the US dollar on Tuesday after it settled at 262.51 with depreciation of Re0.63 or 0.24%.

    In a key development, Pakistan expects to conclude talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) over a staff-level agreement as soon as this week, the country’s finance secretary said, in a crucial step towards unlocking funds to battle an economic crisis.

    “The consultations with the IMF are in the final stages. We expect to conclude the consultations soon, even within the week,” Hamed Yaqoob Sheikh, the top official in the finance ministry, told Reuters.

    Globally, the dollar and sterling were buoyant on Wednesday, after a surprise rebound in business activity in the United States and the UK raised the likelihood that their respective central banks would have further to go in raising interest rates.

    The rebound in US business activity comes on the back of a recent slew of resilient economic data pointing to a still-tight labour market, sticky inflation and robust retail sales in the world’s largest economy.

    The US dollar index stood at 104.13, having gained 0.3% on Tuesday.

    Oil prices, a key indicator of currency parity, fell for a third trading session on Wednesday on expectations the US Federal Reserve will indicate later in the day that interest rates are set to rise more, stoking concerns of lower global economic growth and demand for fuel.



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  • Rupee maintains momentum, settles at 261.90 against US dollar

    [

    The Pakistani rupee witnessed a positive momentum against the US dollar, as the currency settled with a gain of 0.23% in the inter-bank market on Wednesday.

    As per the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), the currency closed at 261.90 against the US dollar, an increase of Re0.61. Despite the gain, the currency has depreciated 21.4% during the ongoing fiscal year against the greenback.

    The Pakistani rupee’s five-session positive run came to an end against the US dollar on Tuesday after it settled at 262.51 with depreciation of Re0.63 or 0.24%.

    In a key development, Pakistan expects to conclude talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) over a staff-level agreement as soon as this week, the country\’s finance secretary said, in a crucial step towards unlocking funds to battle an economic crisis.

    \”The consultations with the IMF are in the final stages. We expect to conclude the consultations soon, even within the week,\” Hamed Yaqoob Sheikh, the top official in the finance ministry, told Reuters.

    Globally, the dollar and sterling were buoyant on Wednesday, after a surprise rebound in business activity in the United States and the UK raised the likelihood that their respective central banks would have further to go in raising interest rates.

    The rebound in US business activity comes on the back of a recent slew of resilient economic data pointing to a still-tight labour market, sticky inflation and robust retail sales in the world’s largest economy.

    The US dollar index stood at 104.13, having gained 0.3% on Tuesday.

    Oil prices, a key indicator of currency parity, fell for a third trading session on Wednesday on expectations the US Federal Reserve will indicate later in the day that interest rates are set to rise more, stoking concerns of lower global economic growth and demand for fuel.



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  • Dollar hovers near six-week high as economies strengthen

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    LONDON/SINGAPORE: The dollar was little changed on Wednesday, continuing to trade near six-week highs on the back of strong economic data.

    Survey data released on Tuesday showed US business activity unexpectedly rebounded in February to reach its highest in eight months. In the euro zone, a survey-based gauge of activity also surged, hitting a nine-month high.

    The signs of economic strength caused traders to pencil in further interest rate hikes from the Federal Reserve on Tuesday, driving the US S&P 500 stock index 2% lower and the dollar up 0.3%.

    On Wednesday, the euro was flat at $1.065, just above Friday’s six-week low of $1.061.

    Dollar flat but data continues to support

    The dollar index was up less than 0.1% at 104.22, not far off the six-week high of 104.67 hit at the end of last week.

    Investors’ focus now turns to the release of the minutes from the Fed’s latest meeting later on Wednesday, which could offer more insight into policymakers’ plans.

    “We’ve been in this dollar rebound for three weeks. The fundamental driver essentially is the market repricing Fed hikes higher,” said Alvin Tan, head of Asia FX strategy at RBC Capital Markets.

    “That’s the near-term momentum and that’s the path of least resistance,” Tan said. “I wouldn’t fight it for now… a further extension of this rally is likely in my view.”

    A blockbuster US employment report in early February sparked the rebound in the dollar, which has been helped along by a series of strong data releases.

    Traders on Tuesday were projecting the Fed’s main interest rate would rise to peak around 5.35% in July, according to Refinitiv data based on derivative market pricing.

    At the start of February, expectations were for a peak just below 5%. The Fed has raised rates to a range of 4.5% to 4.75%, from 0% to 0.25% as recently as March 2022.

    Investors have also increased their ECB rate bets. Deutsche Bank on Tuesday said it now expects rates to rise to 3.75%, having previously expected them to rise to 3.25% from their current level of 2.5%.

    The dollar slipped 0.1% to 134.85 yen, after rising more than 0.5% on Tuesday.

    The pound was down 0.26% to $1.208.It climbed 0.6% on Tuesday after British survey data also came in strong.

    Over in the antipodes, the kiwi was last flat at
    $0.622, after having risen to an intra-day high of $0.625 earlier in the session following a hawkish rate hike from the Reserve Bank of New Zealand.



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  • Intra-day update: rupee registers gain against US dollar

    The Pakistani rupee registered a gain against the US dollar, appreciating 0.41% in the inter-bank market during the opening hours of trading on Wednesday.

    At around 10:30am, the currency was being quoted at 261.45, an increase of Rs1.06, against the US dollar.

    The Pakistani rupee’s five-session positive run came to an end against the US dollar on Tuesday after it settled at 262.51 with a depreciation of Re0.63 or 0.24%.

    In a key development, [Pakistan expects to conclude talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) over a staff-level agreement][1] as soon as this week, the country’s finance secretary said, in a crucial step towards unlocking funds to battle an economic crisis.

    “The consultations with the IMF are in the final stages. We expect to conclude the consultations soon, even within the week,” Hamed Yaqoob Sheikh, the top official in the finance ministry, told Reuters.

    Globally, [the dollar][2] and sterling were buoyant on Wednesday, after a surprise rebound in business activity in the United States and the UK raised the likelihood that their respective central banks would have further to go in raising interest rates.

    The rebound in US business activity comes on the back of a recent slew of resilient economic data pointing to a still-tight labour market, sticky inflation and robust retail sales in the world’s largest economy.

    The US dollar index stood at 104.13, having gained 0.3% on Tuesday.

    [Oil prices][3], a key indicator of currency parity, were steady on Wednesday as investors await the US Federal Reserve’s comments after recent data pointed to the possibility of more interest rates hikes, which may lower economic growth and limit global fuel demand.

    This is an intra-day update
    [1]: https://www.brecorder.com/news/40227707/pakistan-finance-secretary-sees-imf-staff-level-talks-wrapping-up-this-week
    [2]: https://www.brecorder.com/news/40227755/dollar-sterling-underpinned-by-upbeat-pmi-surveys-kiwi-jumps
    [3]: https://www.brecorder.com/news/40227746/oil-steadies-as-investors-await-us-fed-reserve-comments



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