News: FOREX-Dollar gains vs yen, tracks U.S. two-year yields ahead of inflation data

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    	  U.S. yields send dollar/yen higher 
    

    	  Focus on Tuesday's CPI report 
    

    	  Peak fed funds rate is seen at 5.2% in July 
    

    The dollar rose to a one-week high against the rate-sensitive Japanese yen in choppy trading on Monday, on market expectations that the Federal Reserve will keep monetary policy tight for longer, sending U.S. Treasury yields at the short end of the curve higher.

    Those expectations will be challenged or reinforced by the week's main event - the release of U.S. consumer price data on Tuesday - which loomed over Monday's trading.

    "For the Fed, it doesn't seem that rate hikes are over yet. (Fed Chair Jerome) Powell hinted of a higher peak rate last week if the jobs market continues to be hot," said Erik Bregar, director, FX & precious metals risk management at Silver Gold Bull in Toronto.

    "I found the Fed speak last week to be hammering home higher rates for longer. That's why the U.S. dollar has had momentum over the last week and a half," he added.

    The dollar rose to as high as 132.86 yen, nearing last week's 132.9, the highest since Jan 6. JPY=EBS . It was last down nearly 1% at 132.66 yen.

    The greenback tracked the rise in U.S. Treasury two-year yields, which were last 3.2 basis points (bps) higher at 4.544% US2YT=RR , after hitting their highest since late November.

    The euro EUR=EBS hit a one-month low of $1.0656 in Asia trading, but was last at $1.0706, up 0.3%. The British pound GBP=D3 rose 0.5% to $1.2123. Last week, sterling hit a one-month low of $1.1961. GBP=D3

    That left the dollar index =USD , which tracks the greenback against six other major currencies, at 103.44, slightly down on the day.

    Higher U.S. yields were a major driver of the softer yen. The benchmark 10-year U.S. treasury yield on Monday hit a fresh six-week high of 3.755% US10YT=RR and the two-year yield US2YT=RR hit its highest since late November at 4.56%.

    The Japanese currency dropped sharply last year, reaching a 32-year low of 151.94 per dollar as U.S. rates rose while Japanese rates stayed pinned near zero.

    It has regained ground this year as U.S. rates looked like they were near their peak, also rising on expectations the Bank of Japan will move away from its ultra-loose stance, but both now look like they will come later than had been expected.

    Sources said on Friday that former Bank of Japan board member Kazuo Ueda is set to become the next governor. In an interview the same day, Ueda said it was appropriate for the BOJ to maintain its current ultra-easy policy.

    In the United States, much stronger jobs data released at the start of February suggests the economy is performing strongly, meaning there is less danger for the Fed in keeping rates elevated.

    As a result, Tuesday's U.S. CPI report will be a pivotal data release. "Tomorrow, with CPI, could be a potential inflection point," said Silver Gold Bull's Bregar. "It doesn't surprise me that the estimates are higher vis-a-vis the previous month because of all the strong data we have had of late."

    Money markets are positioned for a peak in U.S. interest rates of 5.2% around July, compared with the current target rate of 4.5-4.75%, but have mostly walked back expectations of major rate cuts later in the year. FEDWATCH

    Elsewhere, the Swiss franc strengthened after Swiss inflation data came in higher than expected. The dollar slid to as low as 0.92 Swiss francs and was last down 0.4% at 0.9204 francs CHF=EBS .

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    	Currency bid prices at 10:28AM (1528 GMT) 
    
     Description	  RIC		 Last		   U.S. Close  Pct Change	 YTD Pct	   High Bid	Low Bid 
    											  Previous				   Change					
    											  Session											  
     Dollar index	  =USD	   103.3700	   103.6000	-0.20%		 -0.116%	   +103.8400   +103.3500 
     Euro/Dollar	   EUR=EBS	$1.0714		$1.0678	 +0.35%		 +0.00%		+$1.0718	+$1.0656 
     Dollar/Yen		JPY=EBS	132.5950	   131.4150	+0.89%		 +1.13%		+132.8600   +131.1100 
     Euro/Yen		  EURJPY=	142.07		 140.27	  +1.28%		 +1.26%		+142.1000   +140.3200 
     Dollar/Swiss	  CHF=EBS	0.9208		 0.9237	  -0.31%		 -0.41%		+0.9259	 +0.9200 
     Sterling/Dollar   GBP=D3	 $1.2129		$1.2059	 +0.59%		 +0.30%		+$1.2133	+$1.2031 
     Dollar/Canadian   CAD=D3	 1.3337		 1.3346	  -0.07%		 -1.57%		+1.3379	 +1.3325 
     Aussie/Dollar	 AUD=D3	 $0.6957		$0.6919	 +0.56%		 +2.06%		+$0.6959	+$0.6891 
     Euro/Swiss		EURCHF=	0.9864		 0.9861	  +0.03%		 -0.31%		+0.9877	 +0.9847 
     Euro/Sterling	 EURGBP=	0.8831		 0.8852	  -0.24%		 -0.15%		+0.8876	 +0.8824 
     NZ				NZD=D3	 $0.6357		$0.6311	 +0.76%		 +0.15%		+$0.6359	+$0.6291 
     Dollar/Dollar																					 
    
     Dollar/Norway	 NOK=D3	 10.1090		10.1565	 -0.23%		 +3.26%		+10.1800	+10.1300 
     Euro/Norway	   EURNOK=	10.8341		10.8351	 -0.01%		 +3.24%		+10.8680	+10.8113 
     Dollar/Sweden	 SEK=	   10.4005		10.4524	 -0.17%		 -0.07%		+10.4913	+10.4018 
     Euro/Sweden	   EURSEK=	11.1445		11.1631	 -0.17%		 -0.05%		+11.1860	+11.1370 
    	<^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ 
    World FX rates	https://tmsnrt.rs/2RBWI5E 
    
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