Apr 25 2014

Yen Weakens as Risk Appetite Increases; Russian Currency ClimbsRate Range Projection by Bank

 Next week 102.00- 103.00

Next 3 months 100.00 - 105.00

 

The dollar posted a weekly loss versus the euro before the Federal Reserve meets on policy next week, while a gauge of currency volatility fell to the lowest since 2007.“We’re going to see more downgrades of Russia and Russian corporates,” Douglas Borthwick, the head of foreign exchange at Chapdelaine & Co. in New York, said in a phone interview. “There’s some dollar-yen selling on the back of” the geopolitical tension.

 

The yen rose to the highest level in a week against the dollar as President Barack Obama and European leaders discussed the deepening of sanctions against Russia, underpinning haven demand.

The ruble fell to its weakest level in 10 days against the central bank’s target basket of dollars and euros as Standard & Poor’s cut Russia’s sovereign-debt rating. India’s rupee rebounded from a one-month low as corporations repatriated earnings.

 

Ukraine Tension

 

The market is clearly concerned about the conflict, but the impact appears to be more visible in stock markets than in the currency market,” said Kit Juckes, a global strategist at Societe Generale SA in London. “I don’t think the forex market is being complacent. It’s just that it can’t afford in a zero-rate world to bet against the idea that this is probably not going to escalate beyond a war of words.

 

The yen gained for a third day as Obama spoke on a conference call today with leaders from Germany, France, the U.K. and Italy, a day after Kerry said Russia is running out of time to ease tensions in Ukraine.German Chancellor Angela Merkel said G-7 nations are preparing new measures against Russia even as that country’s troops began military exercises on its neighbor’s border and explosions in two Ukrainian cities wounded eight people.