The Taiwan dollar and the Indian rupee rose against the dollar on Tuesday, leading gains in Asian currencies, on the back of firmer stock markets and as the euro rebounded. Asian currencies are expected to stay firm in 2011, but gains are likely to be capped, analysts and dealers said.
"Investors will buy Asian assets...next year, but they will not chase them as aggressively as before," said Jeong My-young, a currency strategist at Samsung Futures in Seoul. "The eurozone's issues are not easy to deal with at all. So they will prepare for possible macroeconomic crisis," Jeong added. The Taiwan dollar outperformed Asian peers jumping 2.4 percent against the dollar amid higher stock prices.
However, the central bank is expected to push down the Taiwan dollar later in the day, dealers said. Foreign investors also have bought a combined net 58.2 billion Taiwan dollar ($1.95 billion) during the first 17 days of December. The won fell 0.4 percent against the dollar on importers' dollar demand for settlements after failing to break resistance around low-1,150 per dollar and as foreign investors turned to net sellers of local stocks.
Investors remained cautious geopolitical tensions in the Korean peninsula, covering dollar-short positions. A US envoy said North Korea, which has a long history of reneging on deals aimed at reining in its nuclear programme, has promised to allow in UN inspectors to make sure it is not processing highly enriched uranium. "The won tried to strengthened past 1,150 on a firm euro, but strong importers' demand prompted investors to cover dollar-short positions," said a foreign bank dealer in Seoul.
"We cannot rule out possibility of the North's further military actions yet and everybody doubt if the euro can extend gains," he added. Foreign investors swung to net sellers of Seoul stocks unloading a net 35.8 billion won ($31.02 million) worth of shares while the benchmark KOSPI ended up 0.83 percent.