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On April 27th, data from the State Taxation Administration showed that in the year since the implementation of the "instant tax refund upon purchase" policy for departing tourists, the number of people applying nationwide has increased by 12.96 times year-on-year, while the sales volume and amount of tax refunds have increased by 9.35 times year-on-year, demonstrating rapid growth in business scale. It is understood that "instant tax refund upon purchase" means that in regions where the departing tourists have implemented the tax refund policy, when purchasing tax-refundable goods at "instant refund" stores, they can sign an agreement and pre-authorize their credit cards to receive a refund in RMB equivalent to the tax amount on-site at the store. The government actively encourages eligible tax refund stores to provide "instant refund upon purchase" services. Currently, there are over 8,000 tax refund stores nationwide offering this service, an increase of over 100% compared to when the policy was first rolled out nationwide a year ago.On April 27th, Kei Fujimoto, an economist at Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Asset Management, stated that the Bank of Japan is expected to maintain its policy rate at 0.75% on Tuesday. However, even if it pauses its actions, it doesnt necessarily mean a further postponement of interest rate hikes. He said, "The Bank of Japan has repeatedly emphasized that financial conditions remain accommodative, and its policy stance still leans towards tightening." The economist added, "If tensions in the Middle East ease and uncertainty decreases even slightly, the likelihood of a rate hike in June or July will increase."April 27th - The Bank of Japan will announce its interest rate decision on Tuesday. Keisuke Tsuruta, senior bond strategist at Mitsubishi UFJ Morgan Stanley Securities, stated that the market is currently paying close attention to the extent to which Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda will hint at a possible rate hike in June. Such comments will alter market expectations regarding the policy rate path and could potentially impact the Japanese government bond yield curve.On April 27th, Kei Fujimoto, an economist at Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Asset Management, stated that the yen is likely to remain weak regardless of how the situation in the Middle East develops. He said, "Even if the conflict with Iran eases, oil prices are likely to remain high given the continued supply constraints. Concerns about deteriorating fiscal conditions and a weakening trade balance are expected to persist, making it difficult for the yen to appreciate in the short term." He also pointed out that given the current yen weakness is driven more by economic fundamentals than speculative factors, the effectiveness of foreign exchange market intervention may be limited.The Federation of Thai Industries reported that Thailands automobile production rose 2.69% year-on-year in March (compared to 3.43% in February).

US Dollar Index Recovers From Weekly Low Due To Weak US Inflation And Hawkish Federal Reserve Bets

Daniel Rogers

Feb 15, 2023 14:41

US Dollar Index.png 

 

During early Wednesday trade, the US Dollar Index (DXY) maintains a defensive stance at 103.30, following a comeback from a one-week low, as dollar bulls await fresh evidence to reverse a two-day decline.

 

US inflation numbers initially failed to excite US Dollar bulls, forcing the dollar's index against six major currencies to drop to its lowest level in a week the previous day. The US Treasury bond yield and the DXY, however, were later buoyed by the Fed's hawkish remarks.

 

The US Consumer Price Index (CPI) exceeded market expectations with a 6.4% year-over-year (YoY) increase, although it was the worst YoY growth since 2021, when it fell below 6.5%. Importantly, the CPI excluding food and energy, often known as the Core CPI, rose by 5.6% compared to market forecasts of 5.5% and prior readings of 5.5%.

 

In spite of the fact that the United States inflation failed to meet expectations for a "pleasant surprise," the majority of Federal Reserve (Fed) policymakers supported more rate hikes after reviewing the data. The yields on US Treasury bonds and the US Dollar were driven by the same factor. Lorie Logan, president of the Dallas Fed, highlighted, however, that they must be prepared to continue rate hikes for a longer period of time than initially anticipated. John Williams, president of the New York Federal Reserve Bank, reiterated this attitude, noting that the task of containing high inflation is not yet accomplished. In addition, the president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia, Patrick Harker, stated that they are not yet through (increasing interest rates), but are likely close.

 

As a result, US 10-year Treasury bond rates vary around 3.75%, up three basis points (bps) after reaching a six-week high, while the two-year equivalent reached its highest level since early November 2022 by reaching 4.60%. Similarly, Wall Street's losses towards the conclusion of the day boosted the DXY's increase.

 

US Retail Sales and Industrial Production data for January, as well as the NY Empire State Manufacturing Index for February, should be closely monitored by traders of the US Dollar Index on Wednesday in order to validate the Fed's hawkish lean and continue the recovery's momentum.