(Adds quotes, details; updates prices; changes byline; previous LONDON)
The euro slid to a 20-year low and came closer to parity against the dollar on Monday on concerns that an energy crisis will tip the region into a recession, while the U.S. currency was boosted by expectations that the Federal Reserve will hike rates faster and further than peers.
The biggest single pipeline carrying Russian gas to Germany, the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, began annual maintenance on Monday, with flows expected to stop for 10 days, but governments, markets and companies are worried the shutdown might be extended because of the war in Ukraine.
“The most proximate concern for markets is whether or not Nord Stream 1 is going to come back online,” said Bipan Rai, North American head of FX strategy at CIBC Capital Markets in Toronto, adding that “the markets will likely price in a recession” for the region if it doesn't.
The euro tumbled 1.29% to $1.0056 against the U.S. dollar, the weakest since December 2002. EUR=EBS
The dollar gained 1% against a basket of six major currencies, reaching 108.14, the strongest since October 2002. =USD
The U.S. currency has gained on expectations that the Fed will continue to aggressively raise rates as it tackles soaring inflation.
“The Fed is going to raise rates more aggressively than most other developed market central banks and we don’t think other developed market central banks really have the bandwidth to keep up,” Rai said.
The Fed is expected to lift rates by 75 basis points at its July 26-27 meeting. Fed funds futures traders are pricing for its benchmark rates to rise to 3.49% by March, from 1.58% now. FEDWATCH < USONFFE=>
Consumer price data due on Wednesday is this week’s major U.S. economic focus. Economists polled by Reuters expect the index to show that consumer prices rose by an annual rate of 8.8% in June. USCPNY=ECI
The Australian dollar fell to a two-year low as multiple Chinese cities adopted fresh COVID-19 curbs, from business halts to lockdowns, to rein in new infections, raising concerns about global growth.
The Aussie fell 1.93% to $0.6724, the lowest since June 2020. AUD=D3
In the cryptocurrency market Bitcoin fell 1.88% to $20,458. BTC=BTSP
======================================================== Currency bid prices at 9:38AM (1338 GMT)Description RIC Last U.S. Close Pct Change YTD Pct High Bid Low Bid Previous Change Session Dollar index =USD 108.1400 107.0800 +1.00% 13.043% +108.1700 +107.0700 Euro/Dollar EUR=EBS $1.0056 $1.0186 -1.29% -11.55% +$1.0183 +$1.0055 Dollar/Yen JPY=EBS 137.5950 136.1250 +1.11% +19.56% +137.7450 +135.9850 Euro/Yen EURJPY= 138.38 138.56 -0.13% +6.18% +139.1600 +138.2500 Dollar/Swiss CHF=EBS 0.9834 0.9766 +0.70% +7.81% +0.9842 +0.9738 Sterling/Dollar GBP=D3 $1.1888 $1.2032 -1.18% -12.08% +$1.2036 +$1.1885 Dollar/Canadian CAD=D3 1.3031 1.2939 +0.71% +3.06% +1.3035 +1.2945 Aussie/Dollar AUD=D3 $0.6724 $0.6856 -1.93% -7.50% +$0.6857 +$0.6717 Euro/Swiss EURCHF= 0.9889 0.9943 -0.54% -4.63% +0.9949 +0.9885 Euro/Sterling EURGBP= 0.8458 0.8460 -0.02% +0.68% +0.8473 +0.8447 NZ NZD=D3 $0.6102 $0.6184 -1.38% -10.90% +$0.6192 +$0.6098 Dollar/DollarDollar/Norway NOK=D3 10.2350 10.0990 +1.33% +16.16% +10.2430 +10.1225 Euro/Norway EURNOK= 10.2927 10.2836 +0.09% +2.79% +10.3261 +10.2587 Dollar/Sweden SEK= 10.6411 10.5083 -0.03% +18.00% +10.6473 +10.4768 Euro/Sweden EURSEK= 10.7017 10.7050 -0.03% +4.57% +10.7381 +10.6915 <^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ World FX rates https://tmsnrt.rs/2RBWI5EEuro heads to parity towards dollar https://tmsnrt.rs/3uCJco6
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