News: FOREX-Dollar firm as inflation test looms

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    The dollar started the week with support as traders bet U.S. inflation data and appearances from several Federal Reserve officials would bolster the case for higher interest rates.

    After dipping on Friday, the greenback rose 0.2% on the euro in the Asia session, climbing back above its 200-day moving average to $1.1338. It firmed 0.2% on the yen to 115.79 JPY=EBS , close to last week's five-year high of 116.35.

    Asia trade was thinned by a holiday in Japan. Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell and governor Lael Brainard testify before Senate committees this week regarding their nominations as chair and deputy chair at the Fed.

    U.S. inflation figures are due on Wednesday, with headline CPI seen climbing to a red-hot 7% year-on-year.

    "The dollar index is likely to recoup some of its Friday losses this week on Powell's likely hawkish commentary and rising U.S. inflation," said Scotiabank FX strategist Qi Gao.

    Eventually, though, he added that the greenback would probably run out of steam, and the index head towards 94 once money markets fully price in a Fed hike in March.

    The dollar index =USD was last up 0.1% at 95.912. U.S.-Russia talks over rising tension in Ukraine also have traders on edge as the two sides seem far apart and failure risks an armed confrontation on Europe's doorstep.

    The Australian dollar AUD=D3 wobbled around $0.7195, finding a little help from a lift in Aussie bond yields. It faces resistance around $0.7200 and a major barrier at $0.7276 that has held for several weeks now.

    The kiwi NZD=D3 was steady at $0.6773. The dollar had met with some selling late last week after a weaker-than-expected headline U.S. job-creation figure squeezed traders out of long dollar positions.

    But analysts said better-than-expected unemployment numbers still made a good case for hikes sooner rather than later.

    Traders have priced an almost 80% chance of a rate hike in March and a more than 70% chance of another one by June according to CME's FedWatch tool. FEDWATCH

    Sterling GBP=D3 was also marginally weaker on the dollar but has been rallying with bets that the Bank of England (BOE) is likely to be hiking in tandem with the Fed.

    It was last at $1.3586, near a two-month high, and close to last week's two-year peak on the euro EURGBP= . Strategists at MUFG reckon traders are too hawkish on their rates expectations in Britain but still think sterling will hold its own.

    "We still expect two rate hikes by the BOE which should keep EUR/GBP under modest downward pressure, which will result in GBP/USD advancing to around the 1.4000 level," they said in an outlook note published over the weekend.

    Cryptocurrencies have faced pressure from broad selling in risk assets at the start of this year, but were steady in Asia after bitcoin managed to hold support at $40,000 through weekend trade.

    Bitcoin BTC=BTSP last bought $42,000 and ether ETH=BTSP $3,173.

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    	Currency bid prices at 0446 GMT 
    
     Description	  RIC		 Last		   U.S. Close  Pct Change	 YTD Pct	 High Bid	Low Bid 
    											  Previous				   Change				  
    											  Session											
     Euro/Dollar	   EUR=EBS	$1.1337		$1.1362	 -0.22%		 -0.28%	  +1.1360	 +1.1334 
     Dollar/Yen		JPY=EBS	115.7750	   115.5500	+0.00%		 +0.46%	  +115.8450   +0.0000 
     Euro/Yen		 																			 
     Dollar/Swiss	  CHF=EBS	0.9200		 0.9185	  +0.19%		 +0.88%	  +0.9204	 +0.9187 
     Sterling/Dollar   GBP=D3	 1.3586		 1.3598	  -0.06%		 +0.48%	  +1.3597	 +1.3583 
     Dollar/Canadian   CAD=D3	 1.2643		 1.2648	  -0.05%		 -0.02%	  +1.2656	 +1.2636 
     Aussie/Dollar	 AUD=D3	 0.7193		 0.7183	  +0.16%		 -1.03%	  +0.7198	 +0.7173 
     NZ				NZD=D3	 0.6770		 0.6771	  +0.04%		 -1.04%	  +0.6781	 +0.6769 
     Dollar/Dollar																				   
    

    All spots FX= Tokyo spots AFX= Europe spots EFX= Volatilities FXVOL= Tokyo Forex market info from BOJ TKYFX

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    World FX rates	https://tmsnrt.rs/2RBWI5E 
    
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