Jalatama Artha Berjangka News

The dollar held a three-day gain against the euro before U.S. data forecast to show jobless claims decreased and manufacturing expanded.

The greenback was still poised for monthly declines against most major peers as concern the partial government shutdown will affect the economy underpins the Federal Reserve’s decision to keep buying $85 billion of bonds a month. The yen held near a two-week low ahead of a Bank of Japan meeting today at which policy makers are expected to maintain record stimulus. New Zealand’s dollar fell after the central bank signaled that currency strength may provide scope to delay interest-rate increases.

The dollar was little changed at $1.3732 per euro as of 10:28 a.m. in Tokyo from yesterday, after having strengthened 0.5 percent in the previous three sessions. It was at 98.39 yen from 98.51 yesterday, when it reached 98.68, the highest since Oct. 17. For the month, the greenback was set for a 1.5 percent drop against the 17-nation euro and a 0.1 percent advance versus the yen.

Japan’s currency added 0.2 percent to 135.11 per euro from yesterday. New Zealand’s kiwi dollar fell 0.1 percent to 82.54 U.S. cents from yesterday, when it touched 81.93, the weakest level since Sept. 17.

The Bloomberg U.S. Dollar Index, which monitors the greenback against 10 major counterparts, was at 1,006.78 from 1,007.37 yesterday, the highest close since Oct. 16.

The dollar held near an almost two-year low against the euro before U.S data that may add to the case for the Federal Reserve to maintain stimulus for longer.

The Bloomberg U.S. Dollar Index dropped to the weakest in eight months yesterday after a Labor Department report showed employers added fewer jobs than economists estimated. The Aussie dollar rose to a four-month high after data released in Sydney showed that inflation quickened in the third quarter. The euro held near the strongest since 2009 versus the yen before data today that may show the trading bloc’s consumer confidence rose to the highest since July 2011.

The dollar was unchanged at $1.3781 per euro as of 10:12 a.m. in Tokyo from yesterday, when it touched $1.3792, the weakest level since November 2011. The greenback slid 0.1 percent to 98.07 yen. The euro fetched 135.15 yen from 135.25 yesterday, when it reached 135.51, the highest since November 2009.

Bloomberg’s U.S. Dollar Index, which tracks the greenback against 10 major currencies, was at 999.01 from 999.46 yesterday, the lowest close since Feb. 13.

The MSCI Asia Pacific Index of stocks rose 0.3 percent, following a 0.7 percent climb in the MSCI World Index yesterday.

(Source: Bloomberg)

Gold fell on expectations that U.S. lawmakers will still manage to agree to lift the debt ceiling before the government’s borrowing authority lapses tomorrow even after the House of Representatives scrapped a vote on a plan.

Bullion for immediate delivery lost as much as 0.6 percent to $1,275 an ounce and was at $1,275.06 at 8:03 a.m. in Singapore. Prices dropped to $1,251.85 yesterday, the lowest level since July 10, before closing 0.8 percent higher as the negotiations stalled. Gold for December traded 0.2 percent higher at $1,276 an ounce on the Comex in New York.

After the House vote was scrapped, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, a Democrat, and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Republican, resumed talks to end the impasse. Fitch Ratings put the U.S. on watch for a possible credit downgrade yesterday, citing lawmakers’ inability to forge a deal while reiterating that it expects the debt ceiling to be raised.

The House scrapped the vote last night on a fiscal plan, according to Representative Pete Sessions, chairman of the House Rules Committee. That bill would have kept the government open through Dec. 15 and suspended the debt limit until Feb. 7, 2014.

(Source: Bloomberg)