(Updates to afternoon)
- Graphic: World FX rates https://tmsnrt.rs/2RBWI5E
- Cryptocurrencies whipsaw after China regulatory move
- Fed minutes mention possible future taper discussion
- UK, Canada inflation numbers swell
The dollar gained ground on Wednesday, snapping a four-day losing streak and bouncing off a multi-month low following the release of the minutes from the Fed's most recent monetary policy meeting.
In those minutes, a number of members of the U.S. Federal Reserve's Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) said that should the economic recovery continue to gain momentum, it would be appropriate "at some point" to discuss tightening its accommodative policy, giving the greenback a boost.
"The big thing from the Fed minutes is the mention of beginning of taper talks," said Chris Gaffney, president of world markets at TIAA Bank in St. Louis. "Any mention of the Fed stepping in and raising rates will have a major impact on the dollar."
Still, the minutes were from a meeting that occurred before the release of key economic data, which showed further weakness in the labor market and price spikes driven by a supply/demand imbalance.
Since then, the Fed has repeatedly offered assurances that surging prices in the near term will not translate to long-term inflation.
"The Fed is generally singing from the same song sheet, stating that inflation will be transitory," Gaffney added. "In general, they've done a good job of keeping a pretty unified front."
The dollar also benefited from a broad risk-off sentiment, which saw the major U.S stock indexes slide and cryptocurrencies plunge.
"When we saw the big move away from bitcoin, it was an indication that investors are moving away from risk assets, and that benefits the dollar," Gaffney said. "It's an indication of flight to safety."
Bitcoin BTC=BTSP briefly plunged to its lowest level since January in the wake of China's decision to ban financial and payment institutions from providing digital currency services, but pared its losses after some of its prominent backers reiterated their support.
Rival cryptocurrency ethereum ETH=BTSP was last down 22% at $2,623.
Gaffney believes digital currency investors should gird their loins for more of the same.
"Crypto markets were ripe for a sell-off with the run-up we’ve seen," he said. "I expect to see more of the wild roller-coaster ride that we’ve seen going forward."
U.S. Treasury yields hit session highs in the wake of the Fed minutes' release.
The dollar index =USD , which measures the greenback against a basket of world currencies, was last up 0.52% at 90.254.
Meanwhile, pricing pressures were being felt elsewhere. UK inflation more than doubled in April to 1.5% from a month earlier, sparking similar concerns over longer-term inflation.
The British pound GBP=D3 eased 0.58% against the dollar to $1.4106.
Canada also released its latest inflation data, which showed consumer prices jumping to an annual rate of 3.4%.
The greenback gained 0.64% against the Canadian dollar CAD=D3 to $1.214, but was still hovering near its weakest level since May 2015.
The euro EUR=D3 reversed course after touching its highest level against the dollar since the beginning of January, falling 0.5% to $1.2164.
Against the Japanese yen, the dollar rose 0.25% to 109.26 JPY=D3 .
======================================================== Currency bid prices at 3:07PM (1907 GMT)Description RIC Last U.S. Close Pct Change YTD Pct High Bid Low Bid Previous Change Session Dollar index =USD 90.2540 89.8020 +0.52% 0.303% +90.2900 +89.6860 Euro/Dollar EUR=EBS $1.2164 $1.2224 -0.50% +0.00% +$1.2245 +$1.2160 Dollar/Yen JPY=D3 109.2600 108.9050 +0.25% +0.00% +109.3300 +108.5750 Euro/Yen EURJPY= 132.89 133.10 -0.16% +0.00% +133.4400 +132.6500 Dollar/Swiss CHF=EBS 0.9045 0.8977 +0.76% +0.00% +0.9047 +0.8970 Sterling/Dollar GBP=D3 $1.4106 $1.4189 -0.58% +0.00% +$1.4200 +$1.4100 Dollar/Canadian CAD=D3 1.2138 1.2061 +0.64% +0.00% +1.2143 +1.2053 Aussie/Dollar AUD=D3 $0.7717 $0.7791 -0.97% +0.00% +$0.7797 +$0.7711 Euro/Swiss EURCHF= 1.1003 1.0970 +0.30% +0.00% +1.1027 +1.0968 Euro/Sterling EURGBP= 0.8620 0.8612 +0.09% +0.00% +0.8643 +0.8610 NZ NZD=D3 $0.7155 $0.7239 -1.16% +0.00% +$0.7246 +$0.7153 Dollar/DollarDollar/Norway NOK=D3 8.3250 8.2155 +1.28% +0.00% +8.3390 +8.2095 Euro/Norway EURNOK= 10.1286 10.0470 +0.81% +0.00% +10.1518 +10.0386 Dollar/Sweden SEK= 8.3669 8.2793 +0.60% +0.00% +8.3715 +8.2671 Euro/Sweden EURSEK= 10.1791 10.1181 +0.60% +0.00% +10.1872 +10.1201 <^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ World FX rates https://tmsnrt.rs/2RBWI5E^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^>
