Sentiment on most emerging Asian currencies improved in the last two weeks with long positions in the Indian rupee at a near three-month high, a Reuters poll showed, boosted by optimism that any European stimulus will draw more capital inflows. Bullish bets on the rupee rose to their largest since early June, according to the survey of 17 currency analysts conducted between Tuesday and Thursday.
-- Won, peso long positions highest since early July
-- Yuan long positions dip from near 7-month high
The rupee earlier on Thursday hit a four-week high of 60.355 per dollar. Foreign investors continued to seek India's stocks and bonds, supporting the currency. Long positions in the South Korean won and the Philippine peso expanded to their highest since early July. The won touched a seven-week high earlier on Thursday on demand from offshore funds.
The peso advanced to its strongest in more than three weeks as data showed the Philippine economy in the second quarter grew faster than expected, boosting chances for a further rate hike. Sentiment on the Malaysia ringgit further improved as investors sought higher yields on expectations of more tightening backed by solid economic fundamentals.
Last week, European Central Bank President Mario Draghi called for more action on both monetary and fiscal fronts to support the ailing euro zone economy. That fuelled expectations that the ECB may ease further as early as next week. Emerging Asian assets have benefited from monetary stimulus of major central banks as investors used easier money to buy higher yields in Asia.
Meanwhile, long positions in the Chinese yuan slightly eased from a near seven-month high reported in the previous poll published on August 14. The renminbi last week suffered its largest weekly loss in two months due to the dollar's broad strength and cooling expectations about the economy's outlook.
The Reuters survey is focused on what analysts believe are the current market positions in nine Asian emerging market currencies: the Chinese yuan, South Korean won, Singapore dollar , Indonesian rupiah, Taiwan dollar, Indian rupee, Philippine peso, Malaysian ringgit and the Thai baht. The poll uses estimates of net long or short positions on a scale of minus 3 to plus 3. A score of plus 3 indicates the market is significantly long US dollars. The figures included positions held through non-deliverable forwards (NDFs).