FOREX-Dollar weakens after U.S. jobs data reported as forecast

(Recasts; adds analyst quote; updates prices; changes dateline
previous LONDON)
By Kate Duguid
NEW YORK, Aug 2 (Reuters) - The dollar weakened against the
Japanese yen on Friday morning to a seven-month low after U.S.
employment growth in July slowed as expected, which along with
re-escalated U.S.-Chinese trade tensions, may make a case for
the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates again in September.
Nonfarm payrolls increased by 164,000 jobs in July, less
than the month prior, and wages increased modestly, the Labor
Department aid. The report came a day after President Donald
Trump announced an additional 10% tariff on $300 billion worth
of Chinese imports starting Sept. 1, a move that led financial
markets to almost fully price in a September rate cut. The dollar fell 0.63% against the Japanese yen JPY= last
at 106.65. Versus the euro EUR= it was 0.14% weaker at
$1.1099. The Swiss franc CHF= , which like the yen serves as a
safe-haven investment in volatile markets, was 0.66% stronger to
0.9836 franc per dollar.
"On balance it is probably a slightly dollar-negative number
because I do think that the totality of the report increases the
case for a Fed rate cut in September. We're already at the point
where we're trading that," said Greg Anderson, global head of
foreign exchange strategy at BMO Capital Markets in New York.
The U.S. central bank on Wednesday cut its short-term
interest rate for the first time since 2008. Fed Chair Jerome
Powell described the widely anticipated 25-basis-point monetary
policy easing as a mid-cycle policy adjustment to protect U.S.
expansion from the global economic slowdown happening outside
its borders.
The dollar subsequently rose in sympathy with U.S. Treasury
note prices, but that move had largely been retraced on Friday.
The chance of a September rate cut was 93.5% on Friday
morning, according to CME Group's FedWatch tool, a large jump
from 56.2% a week prior.
Trump on Thursday tweeted that a 10% tariff would be imposed
on $300 billion worth of Chinese goods on Sept. 1 after U.S.
negotiators returned from the latest round of trade talks
without having made significant progress. The trade tension is "one more thing that leads to dollar
strength," said Anderson. These particular tariffs had not yet
been implemented by the Trump administration because they cover
products manufactured by American companies in China.
"This particular round will squeeze profits from U.S.
companies, will raise prices of consumer goods in the U.S.
somewhat also, but its design is to force those companies to
rework their supply chains away from China."
Still, he explained, "for the short term chaos is generally
good for the U.S. dollar."