30 June 2005, 12:36  The US dollar was little changed in afternoon trading

The US dollar was little changed in afternoon trading here, after a choppy Asian session marked by thin market liquidity ahead of the US Federal Open Market Committee's (FOMC's) interest rate decision later today. At 3.01 pm (0701 GMT) here, the dollar was at 110.15 yen, down slightly from 110.19 yen almost three hours earlier in Tokyo. The euro was at 1.2089 usd, down slightly from 1.2092 earlier in Sydney. The dollar market appears to have priced in much of the upside it is likely to get from the resulting higher rates after the FOMC announcement, dealers said. Further gains are still likely, though, if the Fed hints of more rate increases in the future, they said. While the FOMC decision will be the highlight, US personal income and Chicago PMI data are to be released later today, while early tomorrow in Asia, the results of the Bank of Japan's quarterly Tankan survey of business conditions are due to be released. All these could translate to post-FOMC volatility in currency markets which could stretch well into the early Asian hours tomorrow, underscoring the cautious market tone this morning, analysts said. "Going into the weekend, we expect increased choppiness in view of the thinning liquidity conditions ahead of the July 4 US Independence Day weekend," a UOB strategists said.

© 1999-2024 Forex EuroClub
All rights reserved