- Graphic: World FX rates in 2020 https://tmsnrt.rs/2RBWI5E
(Adds quotes, updates prices; previous LONDON)
The U.S. dollar fell on Wednesday ahead of the Federal Reserve's economic projections, and as optimism that the global economy is recovering reduced demand for the currency.
The Fed's projections will be watched for any new indications on when the U.S. central bank may lift rates from zero bound. Any details on its new inflation targeting policy and a possible shift towards buying more longer-dated Treasuries as part of its quantitative easing program are also in focus.
The Fed, however, may be running out of new ways to ease monetary conditions after Fed Chairman Jerome Powell last month announced a new inflation policy, which would allow price pressures to run higher than previously before raising rates.
"I think the bar for a dovish surprise is quite high at this point, partly because the toolkit is somewhat limited," said Vassili Serebriakov, an FX strategist at UBS in New York.
The dollar index against a basket of currencies =USD fell 0.21% to 92.92.
Stronger Chinese data for August and optimism about a vaccine for the coronavirus helped boost risk sentiment this week, and reduced demand for the greenback.
"I would say the biggest impulse this week was the stronger activity data for the month of August from China, and maybe a bit of ongoing optimism about the vaccine," Serebriakov said.
Data on Tuesday showed that China's industrial output accelerated the most in eight months in August, while retail sales grew for the first time this year.
"People are starting to embrace a new theme, which is that China is managing much, much better than anyone else," said Davis Hall, head of capital markets in Asia at Indosuez Wealth Management.
The offshore yuan CNH= gained to 6.7536, the strongest since May 2019.
U.S. data on Wednesday showed consumer spending slowed in August, with a key retail sales gauge unexpectedly declining.
The Japanese yen JPY= strengthened as far as 104.70 against the greenback, the strongest since July 31.
Japan's new Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga pledged on Wednesday that he will do his best to protect employment while also countering the coronavirus.
The euro EUR= rose 0.05% to $1.1851. Sterling GBP= reversed earlier losses and rose 0.62% to $1.2966 in what would be its biggest daily rise in 2-1/2 weeks before a meeting of the Bank of England on Thursday, when policymakers may strike a downbeat assessment for the struggling economy.
======================================================== Currency bid prices at 9:48AM (1348 GMT)Description RIC Last U.S. Close Pct Change YTD Pct High Bid Low Bid Previous Change Session Euro/Dollar EUR= $1.1851 $1.1845 +0.05% +5.72% +1.1882 +1.1830 Dollar/Yen JPY= 104.8400 105.4300 -0.56% -3.69% +105.4400 +104.8200 Euro/Yen EURJPY= 124.27 124.91 -0.51% +1.89% +125.0100 +124.2500 Dollar/Swiss CHF= 0.9070 0.9080 -0.11% -6.28% +0.9094 +0.9056 Sterling/Dollar GBP= 1.2966 1.2886 +0.62% -2.22% +1.2994 +1.2876 Dollar/Canadian CAD= 1.3177 1.3181 -0.03% +1.47% +1.3200 +1.3155 Australian/Doll AUD= 0.7325 0.7301 +0.33% +4.33% +0.7343 +0.7289 arEuro/Swiss EURCHF= 1.0751 1.0756 -0.05% -0.93% +1.0766 +1.0749 Euro/Sterling EURGBP= 0.9139 0.9190 -0.55% +8.10% +0.9208 +0.9130 NZ NZD= 0.6738 0.6721 +0.25% +0.03% +0.6753 +0.6703 Dollar/DollarDollar/Norway NOK= 9.0054 9.0285 -0.26% +2.59% +9.0560 +8.9714 Euro/Norway EURNOK= 10.6750 10.6990 -0.22% +8.52% +10.7187 +10.6520 Dollar/Sweden SEK= 8.7851 8.7894 +0.00% -6.00% +8.8138 +8.7648 Euro/Sweden EURSEK= 10.4146 10.4150 +0.00% -0.52% +10.4320 +10.4035
