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FOREX-Dollar nurses wounds as factory data sparks economy concern

Published 12/03/2019, 09:03 AM
Updated 12/03/2019, 09:08 AM
© Reuters.  FOREX-Dollar nurses wounds as factory data sparks economy concern

© Reuters. FOREX-Dollar nurses wounds as factory data sparks economy concern

* Graphic: World FX rates in 2019 http://tmsnrt.rs/2egbfVh
* Weak data stuns dollar bulls into selling
* Worries about trade friction hurt sentiment
* Trade war extends to Argentina, Brazil

By Stanley White
TOKYO, Dec 3 (Reuters) - The dollar traded near a one-week
low versus the yen on Tuesday and near the lowest in almost two
weeks against the euro, on concern about weak U.S. manufacturing
data and signs of new fronts in the U.S. trade war.
Sentiment also took a hit after U.S. President Donald Trump
announced tariffs on metal imports from Brazil and Argentina.
Recent U.S. economic data had shown signs of improvement, so
a fourth consecutive month of shrinking manufacturing activity
as well as an unexpected decline in construction spending put a
big dent in hopes that the world's largest economy had
stabilised.
Investors are also worried about how the United States will
scale back a 16 month-long trade war with China, while more
tariffs on other countries' goods would pose an additional risk
to the global economic outlook.
"The weak data forced a lot of people to give up dollar
longs and cut losses," said Daiwa Securities' foreign exchange
strategist Yukio Ishizuki in Tokyo.
"This may have run its course, but there's no reason to
chase the dollar's upside from here. Trade friction remains a
lingering threat, which is not good for market sentiment."
The dollar traded at 109.00 yen JPY=EBS on Tuesday in
Asia, close to its lowest in a week. It was quoted at $1.1076
versus the euro EUR=EBS after falling 0.56% on Monday, its
biggest decline against the single currency since Sept. 17.
Against a basket of six major currencies, the dollar index
.DXY stood at 97.887, having fallen on Monday by the most in
six weeks.
On Monday, the U.S. Institute for Supply Management said its
index of national factory activity fell 0.2 point to 48.1 in
November. A reading below 50 indicates contraction. Economists
polled by Reuters had forecast a rise to 49.2 from 48.3 a month
prior. Separate data showed construction spending fell in October
as investment in private projects tumbled to the lowest level in
three years. The data surprised economists who had recently raised U.S.
growth forecasts for the forth quarter due to positive data on
trade, housing and manufacturing.
Meanwhile, Trump surprised policymakers in Brazil and
Argentina with tariffs on steel and aluminium imports.
In a Monday tweet, Trump said the tariffs, "effective
immediately", were necessary because "Brazil and Argentina have
been presiding over a massive devaluation of their currencies,
which is not good for our farmers."
The comment came despite both countries actively trying to
strengthen their currencies against the dollar.
The Brazilian real BRL= rose 0.3% to 4.2230 on Monday
after Brazil's central bank conducted a spot auction to support
the currency. The Argentine peso ARS= was largely unchanged at
59.88.

<^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Trump, citing U.S. farmers, slaps metal tariffs on Brazil,
Argentina manufacturing contracts further, tempers economic growth
hopes construction spending unexpectedly falls in October ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^>

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