Ringgit opens higher on easing trade tensions
At 8.01am, the local note rose to 4.2140/4.2460 against the greenback from Monday's close of 4.2275/4.2345.
However, Bank Muamalat Malaysia Bhd chief economist Afzanizam Rashid said the US Dollar Index (DXY) had strengthened, buoyed by optimism ahead of upcoming US-China trade talks.
The DXY gained 1.03% to 98.653 points, as officials from both countries were in discussions in Sweden on a possible trade truce, he noted.
'At the same time, the two-day Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting, which begins today, will be in the spotlight, with consensus expecting no change to the Fed Funds Rate.
'In addition, the US labour market will be closely watched, with July's Nonfarm Payrolls (NFP) report due on Friday. The market expects a softer print of 108,000, down from 147,000 in June,' he said.
Afzanizam added that the ringgit had weakened 0.21% against the US dollar to RM4.2310 on Monday, amid ongoing trade negotiations between Malaysia and the US.
Malaysia is actively engaging the US to avert the impending 25% tariffs set to take effect on Aug 1, seeking a rate below 20%.
Meanwhile, the extended US-China negotiations could signal a prolonged truce, suggesting the administration of US President Donald Trump remains sensitive to the tariffs' potential impact on the domestic economy.
'However, tariff shocks are likely to increase downside risks to global growth in the second half of 2025 and beyond, as higher costs of doing business in the US could dampen aggregate demand.
'The current term of the Fed chair ends in May next year, and it appears likely that Jerome Powell's successor will be more aligned with the US President's preference for lower interest rates as a policy stance,' he added.
Afzanizam expects the ringgit to trade in a narrow range, likely between RM4.23 and RM4.24 today.
At the opening, the ringgit traded higher against most major currencies.
It rose against the Japanese yen to 2.8383/2.8600 from 2.8497/2.8546 at Monday's close, appreciated versus the British pound to 5.6286/5.6714 from 5.6720/5.6814, and strengthened against the euro to 4.8861/4.9232 from 4.9331/4.9412 previously.
The local note was also firmer against regional peers.
It improved against the Indonesian rupiah to 257.4/259.6 from 258.3/258.9, gained versus the Singapore dollar to 3.2750/3.3004 from 3.2917/3.2974, strengthened against the Thai baht to 12.9626/13.0702 from 13.0511/13.0787, and inched up against the Philippine peso to 7.37/7.43 from 7.39/7.41 previously.
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