Dollar edges up as market awaits Trump’s tax plans

28/02/2017 05:45 AST

The dollar edged up from a 2-1/2-week low against the yen on Monday but struggled to gain traction elsewhere, as investors awaited a speech this week by US President Trump for clues on his economic agenda.

Trump is set make his first major policy address to the US Congress on Tuesday, and is expected to give some details on his planned infrastructure spending and tax reform. But market participants worry that if the plans laid out are too vague or look slow to execute, that could weigh on a dollar that reached 14-year highs earlier this year on the back of the “Trumpflation trade” — a view that Trump’s policies would shore up inflation and growth.

“The market is still waiting for further details of President Trump’s economic stimulus plans, including looser regulation, comprehensive tax reform, and higher infrastructure investment,” said MUFG currency analyst Lee Hardman, in London.

“If (he) fails to provide further reassuring details in the address, the market is likely to be left disappointed, which at the very least could prompt the market to push back the timing of likely stimulus beyond this year,” he added.

US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said on Sunday that Trump will use the event to preview some elements of his sweeping plans to cut taxes for the middle class, simplify the tax system and make American companies more globally competitive with lower rates and changes to encourage US manufacturing.

Having hit a low of 111.92 yen in early trading in Asia, the dollar was up 0.3 percent at 112.29 yen by 0845 GMT. Against a basket of major currencies it was flat at 101.15.

Economic data on Friday put pressure on US bond yields and the dollar, showing new home sales grew less than expected in January and consumer sentiment weakening. But speculators have not counted the dollar out. They increased bullish bets on the US dollar for the first time in seven weeks, according to Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) data released on Friday and calculations by Reuters.

The euro edged up just 0.1 percent on Monday to $1.0575, as concerns that far-right anti-EU leader Marine Le Pen could win France’s upcoming presidential election continued to weigh on the single currency.

Sterling skidded to a twelve-day low of $1.2384 on a report that Scotland is preparing to call another independence referendum when formal Brexit negotiations are triggered in March.

Arab News