archiveUS Dollar

KUALA LUMPUR, March 26 — The ringgit opened slightly higher against the US dollar this morning as investors viewed Malaysia’s political and policy stability favourably among emerging markets, boosting the currency’s appeal amid mixed global sentiment. At 8 am, the ringgit stood at 4.4340/4410 against the greenback, up from yesterday’s close of 4.4355/4390. Bank Muamalat Malaysia Bhd chief economist Mohd Afzanizam Abdul Rashid said that despite global challenges, the ringgit had remained resilient, gaining 0.85 per cent year to date and ranking as the fourth-best performing currency in Asia. According...

India has reaffirmed its engagement with BRICS while making it clear that it is not part of any initiative to undermine the US dollar. This comes in response to US President Donald Trump’s latest warning of a 100% tariff on imports from BRICS nations if they pursue a common currency.External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, in a statement to Parliament, emphasised India’s role as a founding member of BRICS, highlighting the bloc’s focus on inclusive global governance. However, he clarified that India does not support any move within BRICS to reduce...

BENGALURU: Indonesian stocks slumped on Friday, bringing a bruising week to an end as concerns over the country’s fiscal health weighed, while most Asian currencies were on the defensive on trade war uncertainties. Jakarta stocks slipped 1.6% after a short-lived rebound from Tuesday’s sell-off, which triggered a trading halt. The benchmark stock index is down more than 11% for the year so far, making it among the worst performers in Asia. Investors’ confidence in Southeast Asia’s largest economy has been dwindling due to growing concerns over fiscal health, government policies...

Global currencies experienced significant declines on Wednesday as the U.S. dollar soared, spurred by the detention of President Erdogan's main political opponent in Turkey. This geopolitical move unsettled investors and sent the Turkish lira to unprecedented lows, prompting a noticeable shift towards safer assets.The ensuing drop in Turkey's lira reverberated through financial markets, impacting major currencies and spurring capital flows into the dollar. The euro, yen, and other currencies saw declines, while investors kept a close eye on the Federal Reserve's impending decision regarding interest rates.Market analysts, including Michael...

PRESIDENT DONALD Trump’s bullying of America’s allies and neighbours may appeal to the maga base. Unfortunately, investors feel otherwise. Confidence in the prospects for the American economy has been sapped and financial markets are sinking. The S&P 500 index of American stocks has dropped by 9% since its peak in February. Because Mr Trump’s on-again, off-again protectionism defies logic, their faith in his administration’s ability to steer the economy is evaporating. It is the same with the dollar. As Mr Trump has threatened tariff after tariff, it has fallen, dropping...

India has “absolutely no interest” in undermining the US dollar, and its fellow members of the Brics grouping of emerging economies have not formed a unified position on a proposed alternative payment system, according to New Delhi’s foreign minister.Speaking at the London-based think tank Chatham House last week during a six-day visit to Britain and Ireland, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar described the dollar as a “source of international economic stability”.His comments followed repeated warnings from US President Donald Trump against any efforts by Brics – an acronym of founding nations Brazil, Russia,...

India's foreign exchange reserves slumped in the week that ended on February 28, as per the latest RBI data. In the week under consideration, the foreign exchange reserves declined by $1.781 billion to $638.698 billion. Forex reserves had slumped for about four months, recently hitting an 11-month low. Then followed the latest rollercoaster movement, with gains some weeks and declines the next. Forex reserves started falling after touching an all-time high of $704.89 billion in September. They are now about 10 percent lower from their peak. The decline in reserves...

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, during his visit to the UK, addressed global economic concerns including the US dollar’s role, BRICS' position on de-dollarisation, and the internationalisation of the Indian rupee. He dismissed speculation that India aims to replace the US dollar, stating the dollar remains essential for global stability. Jaishankar clarified that BRICS lacks a unified stance on de-dollarisation. While rejecting de-dollarisation, he highlighted India's efforts to expand the global use of the rupee, establishing mechanisms with countries facing hard currency shortages. Jaishankar also underlined India's positive relations with...

The Indian rupee has breached an all-time low of 86 against the US dollar. The rupee depreciated to 86.44 against the US dollar in early trade on January 27, 2025, due to the strength of the American currency and a sluggish domestic equities trend. Over the last year, the INR has depreciated by nearly 3.5% against the US Dollar, with much of the strength in the dollar index coming in the last 3-4 months. While a depreciating Rupee hurts Indian consumers as India services a huge import bill, there is...