The dollar extended its losses against the yen on Monday, falling over 1 percent to levels not seen since early May as investors bought the perceived safe-haven Japanese currency amid Brexit fears that have driven a broad rise in risk aversion.
While the Federal Reserve is seen leaving interest rates unchanged on Wednesday, its post-meeting statement will be scrutinized for signals regarding the timing of the next hike in borrowing costs. Most economists expect the Bank of Japan to expand record monetary stimulus in July rather than on June 16.
Chinese data released Monday added to evidence that the world’s second-largest economy is stabilizing. Industrial production rose 6 percent from a year earlier in May, matching economists’ estimates, and retail sales climbed 10 percent.
The pound dropped as much as 0.7 percent to $1.4159. It slumped 1.4 percent on Friday after an Orb/Independent newspaper poll showed 55 percent support for the “Leave” campaign, and 45 percent for “Remain.” Surveys at the weekend were less stark, with an online poll by Opinium for the Observer newspaper showing 44 percent support for Britain staying in the EU and 42 percent against. Hedge funds and other large speculators are betting on sterling futures weakness by the most since June 2013, a report from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission showed.
The yen strengthened versus all 16 major peers. The BOJ should expand monetary stimulus as soon as this week by boosting bond purchases rather than pushing interest rates further into negative territory, Nobuyuki Nakahara, an influential adviser to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, said in an interview on Friday.
Financial markets are shut for holidays in Australia and Russia.
EUR / USD: during the Asian session, the pair was trading in the $ 1.1230-55
GBP / USD: during the Asian session, the pair is trading in the range of $ 1.4155-1.4230
USD / JPY: on Asian session the pair fell to Y105.80
Based on Reuters materials
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