Speculators reduced bets against the dollar for the first time in four weeks, as a recent batch of improving US economic data has boosted expectations the Federal Reserve could hike interest rates more than once this year. The value of the dollar's net short position fell to $6.19 billion in the week ended May 10 from $6.46 billion the previous week, according to Reuters calculations and data from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission released on Friday.
Before this week's small decline in the dollar's net short position, sentiment on the currency had steadily declined since late December when it became evident the Fed would be cautious in raising interest rates. The US central bank was worried about China's stock market and generally unimpressive US economic data for the first quarter. But things seem to have turned with China's equity market on the mend and a better set of US economic numbers the last two weeks, leading to a rally in the dollar. The US currency has rallied about three percent against a basket of currencies in the last 10 days and for the month of May, the dollar was actually up 1.7 percent. Meanwhile, net euro short contracts continued to decrease to 21,872 contracts from a 23,619 short position the previous week. This week's net short contract in the euro was the smallest since June 2014. The Reuters calculation for the aggregate US dollar position is derived from net positions of International Monetary Market speculators in the yen, euro, sterling, Swiss franc and Canadian and Australian dollars.