Ringgit closes slightly lower against greenback
KUALA LUMPUR: The ringgit slipped 0.01% against the US dollar at the close, as the local note continued trading on the defensive yesterday, which offered some technical comfort for the ringgit.
At 6pm, the local note was traded at 4.2400/2490 from 4.2395/2440 at Wednesday's close.
SPI Asset Management managing partner Stephen Innes said the ringgit is under pressure mainly because of concerns that the US Federal Reserve (Fed) might keep interest rates higher for longer, as markets reassess the inflation outlook.
He added that the US dollar has strengthened recently as investors are becoming less certain that the Fed will cut rates in September.
Innes also said that the dollar's recent bid reflected a subtle but growing shift in sentiment, which markets are slowly walking back their conviction that the Fed will cut the interest rate in September.
'Sticky core inflation, fuelled in part by service-sector dynamics and the slow-burn impact of tariffs, is keeping the Fed in a wait-and-see mode.
'The ringgit remains vulnerable to a temporary widening in the US-Malaysia exchange rate spread. 'This does not necessarily break the broader 4.20-4.30 range, and we are still inside expected bands for now, but it does create a bias for further weakness,' he added.
Bank Muamalat Malaysia Bhd chief economist Dr Mohd Afzanizam Abdul Rashid said that the ringgit weakened against the US dollar in the early morning session to 4.2575 in response to the US Consumer Price Index (CPI), which continued to increase in June to 2.7% from 2.4% previously.
'The latest CPI print appears to give the impression that the Fed may not be inclined to cut the Fed Fund Rate in the upcoming meeting in July.
'In a nutshell, the ringgit maintained its narrow-range trade in light of the ongoing uncertainties over the US tariffs,' Mohd Afzanizam said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
3 hours ago
- The Star
US Treasury chief says trade talks with China to continue this week in Sweden
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has said that he would meet his Chinese counterparts in Sweden this week to continue trade talks between the two countries, suggesting the current pause in sky-high tariffs aimed at each other could be extended. Bessent told Fox Business that he would speak with Chinese officials on Monday and Tuesday for a third round of high-level talks in Stockholm – following face-to-face discussions he held with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng in Geneva and London – to work out a likely extension of the pause beyond mid-August. Beijing has yet to confirm the Stockholm talks, but Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said in a post on X on Tuesday that his country would play host to the US-China negotiations next week. After US President Donald Trump's announcement of 'reciprocal' tariffs on April 2, Washington and Beijing raised punitive levies on each other's exports to triple-digit percentage levels. Since then, trade relations have thawed somewhat as the countries have engaged in talks, marked by a June telephone call between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping. On Monday Bessent said that the talks were 'in a good place', a sanguine take on negotiations echoed by Beijing's embassy in Washington, which said 'new progress' had been made in resolving each other's economic and trade concerns. Separately on Tuesday, Trump told reporters that Xi has invited him to visit Beijing and that he would accept. He added that exports of rare earth and magnets to the US may no longer be a thorny issue. 'President Xi has invited me to China, and we'll probably be doing that in the not too distant future, a little bit out, but not too distant. And I've been invited by a lot of people, and we'll make those decisions pretty soon,' he said during a meeting in the Oval Office with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr. 'We have a very good relationship. In fact, the magnets, which is a little complex piece of material, but the magnets are coming out very well. They're sending them in record numbers. We're getting along with China very well,' said Trump. In a possible signal of improving ties, China's market administration watchdog said earlier on Tuesday that it had suspended its anti-trust probe into American multinational chemical company DuPont. Beijing launched its investigation into DuPont in early April, after Trump began slapping new levies on Chinese goods. Bessent said on Monday that he hoped to raise in future talks the issue of China's purchases of Russian and Iranian oil. Beijing's embassy in Washington responded to those comments by saying that 'the international community, including China, has conducted normal cooperation with Iran and Russia within the framework of international law. 'This is reasonable and lawful without harm done to any third party, and deserves to be respected and protected,' said the embassy. China observers said that Beijing would oppose Washington's bid to link tariff talks to Chinese relations with US adversaries. 'Beijing sees its ties and transactions with Russia and Iran as just and fair and conforms to international laws and may be unlikely to make compromises for the sake of US lowering tariffs,' said Xin Qiang, an international studies professor at Fudan University in Shanghai. 'Beijing is mindful not to fall into the trap as US uses tariffs to pursue its geopolitical agenda.' During the Fox Business interview Bessent also mentioned his expectations for China's government to rein in manufacturing overcapacity and launch structural adjustments to stimulate domestic consumption to benefit American manufacturing. 'President Trump is remaking the US into a manufacturing economy. If we could do that together – more U.S. manufacturing, more Chinese consumption – that would be a home run for the Chinese Communist Party and the global economy,' he said. - SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST
Borneo Post
3 hours ago
- Borneo Post
PM Anwar to visit Indonesia for first annual consultation with Prabowo
Anwar (right) arrives at Halim Perdanakusuma International Airport and is greeted by the President of Indonesia, Prabowo Subianto. – Bernama photo JAKARTA (July 27): Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim will embark on a two-day working visit to Indonesia starting Monday to attend the 13th Annual Consultation with President Prabowo Subianto – the first such meeting between the two leaders. Anwar will be accompanied by Sarawak Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Abang Openg; Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor; Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan; Home Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail; Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz; Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek. 'This Annual Consultation represents the highest-level bilateral mechanism between Malaysia and Indonesia, aimed at reinforcing strategic and comprehensive cooperation,' Malaysian Ambassador to Indonesia Datuk Syed Mohamad Hasrin Tengku Hussin said during a media briefing here on Sunday. He said the Annual Consultation, convened alternately between the two countries since 2006, reflects the strong political commitment of both nations to enhance collaboration across a wide range of sectors, including trade and investment, defence and security, connectivity, food security and education. 'The leaders are expected to exchange views on regional and global issues of mutual interest,' he said, adding that a Joint Statement will be issued at the conclusion of the consultation. The previous consultation was held in 2017, making this a timely opportunity for both leaders to reaffirm their strategic partnership and explore new areas of cooperation in response to current regional and global challenges. Syed Mohamad Hasrin said the leaders will also witness the exchange of four Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) in the areas of land border, health cooperation and information and communications technology. During the visit, he said the Prime Minister is also scheduled to visit the ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta, at the invitation of the ASEAN Secretary-General, Dr Kao Kim Hourn. Anwar will also deliver a Policy Speech on ASEAN in the context of Malaysia's ASEAN Chairmanship in 2025, underscoring Malaysia's ongoing commitment to regional integration and community-building. In 2024, Indonesia ranked as Malaysia's sixth-largest global trading partner and the second largest within ASEAN. Bilateral trade increased by 4.5 per cent from RM111.21 billion (US$24.39 billion) in 2023 to RM116.29 billion (US$25.5 billion) in 2024. – Bernama anwar ibrahim bilateral relations indonesia Prabowo Subianto
The Sun
4 hours ago
- The Sun
PM Anwar to visit Indonesia for first annual talks with Prabowo
JAKARTA: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim will begin a two-day working visit to Indonesia on Monday for the 13th Annual Consultation with President Prabowo Subianto, marking their first formal bilateral meeting since Prabowo took office. The delegation includes Sarawak Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Abang Openg, Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor, Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan, and other key ministers. Malaysian Ambassador to Indonesia Datuk Syed Mohamad Hasrin Tengku Hussin described the event as the highest-level bilateral mechanism between the two nations, reinforcing strategic cooperation. 'This Annual Consultation reflects the strong political commitment of both countries to enhance collaboration in trade, defence, connectivity, and education,' he said during a media briefing. The leaders will discuss regional and global issues, with a Joint Statement expected upon conclusion. Four Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) on land border management, health, and ICT will be exchanged during the visit. Anwar will also address the ASEAN Secretariat, delivering a policy speech on Malaysia's 2025 ASEAN Chairmanship priorities. Bilateral trade between Malaysia and Indonesia grew by 4.5% in 2024, reaching RM116.29 billion (US$25.5 billion). Indonesia remains Malaysia's second-largest ASEAN trading partner. – Bernama
