[B]Market Review [/B]- 05/02/2014 [I]18:33GMT [/I]
[B]U.S. dollar rebounds as global stock markets stabilise[/B]
The greenback fell from Asian high at 101.77 to 100.77/80 in New York morning against the Japanese yen after the release of slightly less-than-expected U.S. ADP employment data, however, the pair jumped to 101.63 after the release of stronger-than-expected ISM non-manufacturing PMI data which came in at 54.0 versus economists’ forecast of 53.7 and well above previous reading of 53.0.
Euro fluctuated wildly on Wednesday. Despite the brief bounce from European low at 1.3499 to 1.3555 in New York morning after the release of less-than-expected US ADP employment, the single currency dropped swiftly to 1.3504 before trading sideways later in the day.
On the data front, eurozone retail sales data which came in at -1.6% m/m n -1.0% y/y respectively versus economists’ forecast of -0.7% m/m n 1.5% y/y with downwardly revised 0.9% m/m n 1.3% y/y increase in November.
The British pound weakened to a fresh 6-week low of 1.6252 after the release of weaker-than-expected U.K. services PMI which came in at 58.3 in January versus previous reading of 58.8 in December, however, cable rebounded to around 1.6333 on short-covering in New York.
In other news, Philadelphia Fed President Charles Plosser warned of looming communications problems if the central bank keeps buying assets while, as he expects, the U.S. unemployment rate falls below 6.5% some time in the first half of 2014, from the current 6.7%. Plosser said ‘the U.S. Federal Reserve should wind down its bond purchases faster than planned and end it before mid-year.’
Dennis Lockhart, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, said the year had begun with some momentum, despite the recent drop in stock markets, and further reductions in the pace of central bank asset purchases would be appropriate as long as the economy remained on track. Lockhart said ‘the U.S. Federal Reserve will probably keep steadily dialing back its asset purchases and wind them down completely by late 2014 but should be patient on raising interest rates.’