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Asian Currencies Mixed as Yen Weakens, RBA Hike Looms

Asian Currencies Mixed as Yen Weakens, RBA Hike Looms. Source: Image by Squirrel_photos from Pixabay

Asian currencies traded mixed on Tuesday, with the Japanese yen weakening toward recent lows as investors weighed intervention risks and the Bank of Japan’s policy outlook. The U.S. dollar remained near a two-month high, supported by elevated Treasury yields and expectations for further Federal Reserve tightening.

The U.S. Dollar Index hovered around 101.21 after touching 101.27 earlier. It is on course for a roughly 1.8% September gain, potentially its strongest monthly advance since June. USD/JPY traded near 157.36.

Oil-market uncertainty also supported the dollar. Brent crude traded around $106 a barrel as investors remained cautious about diplomatic efforts surrounding the U.S.-Iran conflict following President Donald Trump’s rejection of Tehran’s ceasefire proposal.

U.S. Treasury yields remained at multi-year highs, with the 10-year yield reaching levels last seen in 2007 and the 30-year yield hitting its highest since 2004. Markets are pricing in more than a 70% probability of another Fed rate hike at the end of October, compared with 57% a week earlier.

Investors are now awaiting the U.S. PCE price index on Wednesday and nonfarm payrolls on Friday for further clues on the Fed’s interest rate trajectory.

The Japanese yen weakened despite renewed warnings from Japanese officials over excessive currency moves. Japan’s top currency official, Atsushi Mimura, reiterated concerns about yen weakness after the currency briefly strengthened to 156.51 per dollar on Monday. Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama and U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent also recently reaffirmed concerns that the yen remains undervalued.

Meanwhile, the Australian dollar traded around $0.70 ahead of the Reserve Bank of Australia’s policy decision. The RBA is widely expected to raise its cash rate by 25 basis points to 4.60%, the highest since 2011.

Elsewhere, the New Zealand dollar stood near $0.5675. China’s yuan strengthened slightly, while the South Korean won also gained. The Indian rupee was broadly flat, and the Singapore dollar weakened modestly against the greenback.

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