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LSE: Dollar rises vs yen, lifted by US Treasury yields |
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NEW YORK, Feb 9 (Reuters) - The dollar rose against the yen
on Wednesday, lifted by the recent rise in Treasury yields on
hopes of an improving U.S. and global outlook.
U.S. Treasury yields have moved higher across the curve in
the past week amid signs of a broadening U.S. recovery and
positive comments on the economy from Federal Reserve
officials. The move tends to support the dollar against the
yen.
Two-year yields have risen about 30 basis points over the
last week.
More gains for the dollar are seen in the near term,
especially against the yen, analysts said, especially since the
dollar/yen has lagged the increase in Treasury yields. At
current two-year yields, analysts see the dollar trading
between 88-89 yen.
'There has been a significant divergence between the
U.S.-Japanese two-year bond spread and dollar/yen ongoing for
several weeks,' said Camilla Sutton, chief currency strategist
at Scotia Capital in Toronto.
'Today dollar/yen has finally started to shift higher. This
move is not yet complete, and (we) are biased to be long
dollar/yen in the near term.'
In early New York trading, the dollar gained 0.2 percent to
82.47 yen, recovering from a fall to 81.77 yen on
Tuesday. Hedge funds were said to be buyers of the currency
pair overnight, with traders citing stops above 82.70 yen.
A break through 82.95 yen, the initial trendline
resistance, will trigger a bullish signal on dollar/yen and
open upside potential toward 85.00 yen, BNP Paribas said in a
research note.
Further weighing on the yen was a statement from Moody's on
Wednesday, warning that a lack of success on fiscal reform
would have a negative impact on Japan's credit rating. For
details, see
The euro rose against the dollar in volatile trading,
boosted by central bank buying to diversify their reserves. It
last traded at $1.3662, up 0.2 percent on the day.
Near-term support lies at $1.3538, the 100-day moving
average, followed by $1.3480, the 23.6 percent Fibonacci
retracement of the January-to-February euro rally. Some traders
saw resistance at $1.3811, the opening price on Feb. 3.
Earlier, the euro fell after sources told Reuters
Bundesbank head Axel Weber would not be a candidate to replace
Jean-Claude Trichet as president of the European Central Bank.
Weber, who had been considered a front-runner to succeed
Trichet when his term expires in October, is regarded as a hawk
on inflation, but often finds himself in the minority.
'He had a fairly hawkish line, and these views may not have
reflected the ECB's, and have not helped him,' said Steve
Barrow, head of G10 currency research at Standard Bank.
'This news has come as a surprise to many, which is why the
euro dipped. But it has held reasonably well, which suggests
there is underlying support.'
Investors awaited testimony by U.S. Federal Reserve
Chairman Ben Bernanke, due at 10 a.m. EST (1500 GMT), before
the U.S. House Budget Committee. This is the first time
Bernanke will be facing a Republican majority generally viewed
as more hostile to the Fed.
'Aside from an expected warning from Bernanke regarding the
extension of U.S. debt limits, the market will also look for
any change of tone in Bernanke's assessment of the U.S.
economy,' said Boris Schlossberg, director of FX research at
GFT in New York.
(Additional reporting by Anirban Nag in London; editing by
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