- Market awaits 25 basis-point cut by the Fed
- Investors also worried by spike in overnight rates
- Graphic: World FX rates in 2019 http://tmsnrt.rs/2egbfVh
(New throughout, updates prices, market activity, commens, adds FX table; new byline, changes dateline; previous LONDON)
The dollar dipped on Tuesday in choppy range-bound trading on the eve of an expected U.S. interest rate cut from the Federal Reserve, but the greenback drew support from geopolitical tensions.
The dollar has fallen in three of the last four sessions, and is down so far this month. Investors were also watching an overnight spike in dollar funding costs. The overnight rate, or the cost for banks and Wall Street dealers to borrow dollars USONRP= , surged to 10% on Tuesday, the highest since at least January 2003, according to Refinitiv data.
Analysts attributed quarterly corporate tax payments and settlement of $78 billion in Treasuries supply for the spike on Monday in interest rates in the repurchase agreement (repo) market.
"This morning's funding squeeze has put some upward pressure earlier in the dollar, but that is not likely to be a longer-term driver," said Erik Nelson, currency strategist, at Wells Fargo Securities in New York.
"We also have the Fed tomorrow and market participants are marking time ahead of the decision. So it's pretty much back and forth right now," he added.
Though investors expect a 25 basis points rate cut, some believe this may be the last rate cut for a while absent more evidence of a U.S. economic slowdown. Money markets are pricing in about an 80% probability of another rate cut by year end.
"If the Fed does cut 25 bps, then we think it will be the last time until we really do see signs of recession," Brown Brothers Harriman strategists said in a note.
Against a basket of its rivals .DXY , the greenback edged 0.1% lower to 98.541. Geopolitical tensions supported the dollar. Though oil prices pulled back slightly from Monday's four-month highs, they remained about 15% higher than Friday's close on wariness that attacks on Saudi Arabian crude oil facilities could trigger a military response.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday he did not want to go to war but also said Washington was still investigating if Iran was behind the strikes.
The euro was up 0.3% at $1.1030 EUR= . Against the yen, the dollar was up 0.1% at 108.28 yen JPY= .
======================================================== Currency bid prices at 9:58AM (1358 GMT)Description RIC Last U.S. Close Pct Change YTD Pct High Bid Low Bid Previous Change Session Euro/Dollar EUR= $1.1029 $1.1000 +0.26% -3.84% +1.1039 +1.0991 Dollar/Yen JPY= 108.2300 108.1200 +0.10% -1.84% +108.3600 +108.0300 Euro/Yen EURJPY= 119.39 118.95 +0.37% -5.42% +119.5000 +118.8800 Dollar/Swiss CHF= 0.9959 0.9925 +0.34% +1.48% +0.9968 +0.9914 Sterling/Dollar GBP= 1.2438 1.2428 +0.08% -2.51% +1.2443 +1.2394 Dollar/Canadian CAD= 1.3279 1.3235 +0.33% -2.63% +1.3298 +1.3234 Australian/Doll AUD= 0.6842 0.6864 -0.32% -2.94% +0.6870 +0.6831 arEuro/Swiss EURCHF= 1.0985 1.0922 +0.58% -2.39% +1.0992 +1.0914 Euro/Sterling EURGBP= 0.8865 0.8848 +0.19% -1.32% +0.8889 +0.8849 NZ NZD= 0.6336 0.6343 -0.11% -5.67% +0.6349 +0.6323 Dollar/DollarDollar/Norway NOK= 8.9512 8.9599 -0.10% +3.62% +8.9818 +8.9405 Euro/Norway EURNOK= 9.8742 9.8593 +0.15% -0.32% +9.9046 +9.8568 Dollar/Sweden SEK= 9.6885 9.6558 +0.62% +8.08% +9.7286 +9.6530 Euro/Sweden EURSEK= 10.6885 10.6226 +0.62% +4.14% +10.7151 +10.6240 <^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Dollar positions http//tmsnrt.rs/302mqb3^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^>
