NEW YORK: The US dollar rose to a four-month peak versus major peers on Tuesday, while bitcoin extended its record rally as investors continued to pile into trades seen as benefiting from the incoming Donald Trump administration.
The euro languished at a seven-month trough and the yuan slumped to its lowest in more than three months, with Europe and China both targets of potential Trump tariffs.
Leading cryptocurrency bitcoin pushed to a new all-time peak of $89,982 and was last at $88,561. Trump has vowed to make the United States “the crypto capital of the planet”.
“We are in a regulatory tailwind zone now,” said Gautam Chhugani, an analyst at research firm Bernstein. “We expect a crypto-friendly regulatory environment under Trump, starting with a pro-crypto SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission).”
The US dollar index, which measures the currency against six peers rose 0.34% to 105.78, around its highest since early July. “The market is continuing to push US equities, US interest rates, and the dollar higher,” said Alvin Tan, head of Asia FX strategy at RBC Capital Markets.
“Today probably the impetus is the fact that we had these reports that Trump is looking to appoint Senator Rubio and also Congressman Waltz as the key foreign policy officials, and they’re known for being quite hawkish on China.”
Sources on Monday told Reuters that Trump is expected to tap US Senator Marco Rubio to be his secretary of state, arguably the most hawkish option on the shortlist. Republican Representative Mike Waltz, a China critic, is expected to be national security adviser, sources said. “It does suggest that Trump is serious about some of his hardline policy proposals,” Tan added. The onshore yuan finished the domestic session at 7.2378 per dollar, its lowest close since Aug. 1.
The Aussie dollar - which tends to be swayed by the economic outlook for China, Australia’s top trading partner - sagged 0.44% to $0.6545. The euro sank to $1.0617 on Tuesday, the lowest since late April, and was last down 0.26% at $1.0627. Trump’s Republican Party will control both houses of Congress when he takes office in January, Decision Desk HQ projected on Monday. That would enable him to push an agenda of slashing taxes and shrinking the federal government.
Trump has warned that the euro bloc will “pay a big price” for not buying enough American exports, with cars a particular target. He has threatened China with blanket 60% tariffs.
Chancellor Olaf Sholz’s remaining coalition partner, the Greens, on Monday joined opposition calls for an earlier parliamentary vote to open the way to a snap election. Sterling fell 0.38% to $1.2822 after data showed regular UK wage growth slowed and unemployment rose, with the pound also feeling the heat from the dollar’s rally. The dollar edged up about 0.15% to 153.94 yen. The Japanese currency dropped to a three-month low of 154.715 per dollar last week.
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