archivemiddle east crisis

SINGAPORE, June 19 — The dollar firmed today, buoyed by safe-haven demand due to the looming threat of a broader conflict in the Middle East and possible US involvement, while investors weighed Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell’s cautionary tone on inflation.After a muted start in Asia hours, the dollar advanced across the board, weighing heavily on risk sensitive currencies after a report said US officials are preparing for the possibility of a strike on Iran in the coming days.The Australian dollar fell as much as 0.5 per cent but was...

The currencies of several major Asian oil importers are ripe for depreciation with the spike in international crude oil prices, analysts at Barclays said on Tuesday. The surge in oil prices in recent days “implies risks for most Asian FX in the near term, especially if oil prices move even higher in the event of a potential escalation in the conflict,” Barclays’ analysts wrote in a note to clients carried by Bloomberg. Thailand’s baht, the Taiwanese dollar, and the Korean won are the Asian currencies most at risk of depreciation, according to...