Dollar Rises Against Yen as Fed Rate Increase Outlook Holds

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The dollar gained against the yen, bolstered by the outlook for more U.S. interest-rate increases as markets began winding down before the year-end holidays.

A gauge of the dollar climbed 0.7 percent last week, the biggest gain since the start of November, after the Federal Reserve raised interest rates for the first time since 2006. Futures show the odds of an April rate hike increased to 50 percent. The euro was little changed as results from Spain’s election on Sunday left the country with no clear governing majority after Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy’s People’s Party lost more than a third of its support.

The greenback advanced 0.1 percent to 121.25 yen as of 8:39 a.m. in Tokyo after falling 1.1 percent on Friday. The U.S. currency was unchanged at $1.0868 per euro from Dec. 18 when it fell 0.4 percent.

The Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index, which tracks the currency against 10 major peers, was little changed at 1,234.77. The gauge reached the highest in data going back more than 10 years on Dec. 17 after members of the Federal Open Market Committee unanimously voted to raise the benchmark from a record low.

Source: Bloomberg

Saham Jepang Terkoreksi Ditengah Penguatan Yen Redupkan Eksportir

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Saham Jepang mengikuti penurunan ekuitas AS setelah yen naik terhadap dolar, meredupkan prospek pendapatan sektor eksportir, dan minyak mentah melanjutkan kemerosotannya.

Indeks Topix turun dengan 0,5% menjadi 1,529.02 pada 09:01 pagi di Tokyo, setelah mencatat penurunan mingguan keempat beruntun pada hari Jumat. Indeks Nikkei 225 Stock Average turun 0,6% menjadi 18,873.93. Yen diperdagangkan pada 121,30 per dolar setelah penguatan 1,1% pada hari Jumat karena Bank tweak Jepang untuk program stimulus yang mengecewakan investor. Saham AS jatuh ke level terendah dalam dua bulan karena pasar menyesuaikan dengan suku bunga AS mendekati nol, sementara saham energi memimpin kerugian karena minyak terus diperdagangkan mendekati level terendah enam tahun.

Indeks berjangka Standard & Poor 500 naik 0,3% setelah Indeks utama anjlok 1,8% pada hari Jumat. Walt Disney Co turun 3,8%, sementara Apple Inc kehilangan 2,7%. Volume melonjak karena acara kuartalan yang dikenal sebagai quadruple witching, ketika kontrak berjangka dan opsi pada indeks dan saham individu berakhir.

BOJ meluncurkan perubahan stimulusnya pada Jumat, termasuk memperluas jatuh tempo pembelian obligasi pemerintah dan meluncurkan sebuah program baru untuk membeli exchange-traded funds perusahaan membuat investasi modal. Topix ditutup 1,8% lebih rendah setelah melonjak sebanyak 2%.(yds)

Sumber: Bloomberg

Asian Stocks Set to Follow U.S. Rout as Haven Yen Holds Advance

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Asian stocks looked set to track Friday’s retreat in U.S. equities, with the safe-haven yen holding most of its biggest gain in more than a week amid a rout in the price of oil.

Shares in New Zealand declined 0.2 percent, while futures on indexes from Tokyo to Sydney signaled losses after U.S. stocks tumbled on Friday to their lowest closing level in two months. The euro was little changed while Spanish government bonds may weaken on Monday after Spain was left with no clear governing majority following the nation’s election. Crude slid to the lowest level in more than six years last week, bucking gains seen in commodities including copper, sugar and gold.

The S&P/NZX 50 Index declined 0.2 percent as of 7:21 a.m. in Tokyo on Monday. Futures on Australia’s benchmark were down 0.8 percent in most recent trading, while those on the Kospi index in Seoul weakened 0.3 percent.

Nikkei 225 Stock Average futures slid 0.6 percent to 18,830 in Osaka, with contracts denominated in yen traded in Chicago falling 2.3 percent last session. The Bank of Japan on Friday modified its stimulus program to lengthen the average maturities of government bonds it buys and unveiled new measures to purchase exchange-traded funds. Governor Haruhiko Kuroda said the changes were designed to make it easier for the BOJ to maintain its current policy and didn’t constitute additional easing.

In Hong Kong, futures on the Hang Seng and Hang Seng China Enterprises gauges lost at least 0.5 percent, while those on the FTSE China A50 Index were down 0.2 percent in recent trade.

Source: Bloomberg