- Indian Rupee (INR) pares last week’s gains
- Risk off dominates after China’s GDP slows more than forecast
- US Dollar (USD) traces treasury yields higher
- US rate hike expectations in focus
The US Dollar Indian Rupee (USD/INR) exchange rate is advancing at the start of the week, paring losses from the previous week. The pair lost -0.13% last week, settling on Friday at 75.01. At 11:00 UTC, USD/INR trades +0.43% at 75.33.
The Rupee is edging lower in risk off trade. Economic growth in China slowed by more than expected to 4.9% year on year, well down from 7.9% previously and 5.2% expected. The slowdown comes amid a housing slump and as electricity shortages dragged on economic growth.
Beijing has shown that it is not rushing to jump in to stimulate the economy suggesting that the slowdown in growth could continue.
Separately India stocks powered higher, boosted by metal and energy stocks as commodity prices surge higher.
The Nifty 50 closed 3.9% higher helped by Hindustan Zinc which jumped 15% as global zinc prices spiked.
The US Dollar is rebounding on Monday. The US Dollar Index, which measures the greenback versus a basket of major currencies trades +0.2% at the time of writing at 94.12, recouping losses from the previous week.
The US Dollar is advancing, tracing treasury yields higher amid rising inflation expectations and as investors ramped up bets that the US Federal Reserve was gearing up to raise interest rates as soon as year next year.
The market has assumed that the Fed will tapering bond purchases as from later this year, either November or December. Attention is now on when the first-rate hike will come and how many rate hikes can be expected next year.
Rising inflation expectations as energy and commodity prices continue to rise are boosting bets that elevated inflation levels could be more prolonged than initially expected, prompting a sooner move by the Fed.
Attention will now turn to US industrial production numbers due shortly. Expectations are for a slight slowdown with 0.2% month on month growth, down from 0.4%.
