US dollar hits fresh lows on report Trump considers naming next Fed chief early
Mr Donald Trump on June 25 called Mr Jerome Powell 'terrible' for not lowering interest rates sharply. PHOTO: AFP
SYDNEY - The US dollar fell to a fresh 3½ year low on the euro on June 26 as concerns about the future independence of the US Federal Reserve undermined faith in the soundness of the country's monetary policy.
According to a Wall Street Journal report, US President Donald Trump had toyed with the idea of selecting and announcing Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell's replacement by September or October, aiming to undermine his position.
Mr Trump on June 25 called Mr Powell 'terrible' for not lowering interest rates sharply, while the Fed chair was telling the Senate that policy had to be cautious as the US President's tariff plans were a risk to inflati
'Markets are likely to bristle at any early move to name Powell's successor, particularly if the decision appears politically motivated,' said Kieran Williams, head of Asia FX at InTouch Capital Markets.
'The move would raise questions about the potential erosion of Fed independence and potentially weaken credibility,' he added. 'If this was the case it could recalibrate rate expectations, trigger reassessment of dollar positioning.'
Markets have nudged up the chance of a rate cut at the Fed's next meeting in July to 25 per cent, from just 12 per cent a week ago, and are pricing in 64 basis points of cuts by year-end, up from around 46 basis points on Feb 20.
The dollar slipped across the board as the euro gained 0.2 per cent to reach US$1.1687, its highest since October 2021. The next chart targets were $1.1692 and $1.1909.
The British pound rose 0.2 per cent to USA$1.3690, its highest since January 2022, while the dollar was at its lowest against the Swiss franc since 2011 at 0.8033. The franc also struck a record peak on the yen around 180.55.
The dollar dipped 0.2 per cent on the yen to 144.89, while the dollar index sank to its lowest since early 2022 at 97.491.
Against the Singapore dollar, the US currency dropped 0.14 per cent to 1.2765 per Singdollar as at 9.42am. The US dollar has weakened 6.5 per cent against the Singdollar to date this year.
Mr Trump's chaotic tariff policies are also coming back into focus as the clock ticks down to his July 9 deadline for trade deals.
JPMorgan on June 25 warned the hit from tariffs would slow US economic growth and lift inflation, resulting in a 40 per cent chance of a recession.
'The risk of additional negative shocks is elevated, and we expect US tariff rates to move higher,' JPMorgan analysts wrote in their report. 'The upshot of these developments is that our baseline scenario incorporates the end of a phase of US exceptionalism.'
The ending of 'exceptionalism' has been a major theme in the dollar's decline in recent months, as investors question its dominant reserve currency status and as the main safe haven among currencies.
The euro has been a big beneficiary, with investors also hoping that massive new investment in European defence and infrastructure will bolster economic growth across the continent. REUTERS
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