China's yuan dips as weak data raises bets for more easing
SHANGHAI, Sept 3 (Reuters) -China's yuan eased against the dollar on Tuesday as disappointing August factory activity data raised bets for more stimulus in the world's second-largest economy.
With markets now firmly expecting the U.S. Federal Reserve to cut interest rates in September, many yuan traders said that could give Beijing more leeway to manoeuvre its own monetary policy.
"Fed rate cuts provide room for the People's Bank of China (PBOC) to ease without spurring capital outflows," said Chang Wei Liang, FX & credit strategist at DBS.
Analysts at J.P.Morgan also said that easing yuan depreciation pressure in the short term "may open the room for continuing policy rate cuts" in China.
They maintained their expectations of a 10-basis-point rate cut in the fourth quarter of this year and another reduction of the same margin in the first quarter of 2025.
As of 0306 GMT, the yuan CNY=CFXS was 0.08% lower at 7.1230 to the dollar, paring back gains after hitting a near 15-month high of 7.0825 hit late last week.
The yuan is down 0.4% against the dollar this month, and 0.3% weaker this year. It has been under pressure since early 2023 as a prolonged property crisis, anaemic consumption and falling yields drive capital flows out of yuan, and foreign investors stay away from its struggling stock market.
Prior to the market opening, the PBOC set the midpoint rate CNY=PBOC, around which the yuan is allowed to trade in a 2% band, at 7.1112 per dollar, 8 pips firmer than a Reuters' estimate of 7.1120.
Based on Tuesday's official guidance, the trade-weighted CFETS yuan basket index .CFSCNYI, a gauge that measures the yuan's strength against its major trading partners, fell to 98.15, according to Reuters calculations.
"A softer dollar environment allows for the yuan weakness to play out versus its trade peers and hence the yuan CFETS index can go lower," Christopher Wong, FX strategist at OCBC Bank.
"Economic recovery in China remains bumpy while the property market has yet to recover despite measures. Eventual recovery in yuan would require confidence to be 'repaired', economic recovery to gain better momentum and for the dollar to turn lower."
Wong added that policymakers are likely to still be pursuing a measured pace of yuan depreciation from a trade perspective. Exports have been one of the few bright spots for the economy this year but trade disputes are increasingly clouding the outlook.
The CFETS index remained up 0.75% year-to-date, but it was lost about 2.65% from a peak of 100.73 hit in April.
Currency traders said the market focus will be on the U.S. payrolls data due on Friday after Fed Chair Jerome Powell last month endorsed an imminent start to interest rate cuts in a nod to worries over the labour market. FRX/
By midday, the offshore yuan traded at 7.1259 yuan per dollar CNH=, down about 0.11% in Asian trade, while the dollar's six-currency index =USD was 0.07% higher at 101.73.
LEVELS AT 0305 GMT:
INSTRUMENT | CURRENT vs USD | UP/DOWN(-) VS. PREVIOUS CLOSE % | % CHANGE YR-TO-DATE | DAY'S HIGH | DAY'S LOW |
Spot yuan <CNY=CFXS | 7.123 | -0.07 | -0.3 | 7.1166 | 7.1236 |
Offshore yuan spot CNH=D3 | 7.1258 | -0.11 | -0.01 | 7.1145 | 7.127 |
Reporting by Shanghai Newsroom; Editing by Kim Coghill
면책조항: XM Group 회사는 체결 전용 서비스와 온라인 거래 플랫폼에 대한 접근을 제공하여, 개인이 웹사이트에서 또는 웹사이트를 통해 이용 가능한 콘텐츠를 보거나 사용할 수 있도록 허용합니다. 이에 대해 변경하거나 확장할 의도는 없습니다. 이러한 접근 및 사용에는 다음 사항이 항상 적용됩니다: (i) 이용 약관, (ii) 위험 경고, (iii) 완전 면책조항. 따라서, 이러한 콘텐츠는 일반적인 정보에 불과합니다. 특히, 온라인 거래 플랫폼의 콘텐츠는 금융 시장에서의 거래에 대한 권유나 제안이 아닙니다. 금융 시장에서의 거래는 자본에 상당한 위험을 수반합니다.
온라인 거래 플랫폼에 공개된 모든 자료는 교육/정보 목적으로만 제공되며, 금융, 투자세 또는 거래 조언 및 권고, 거래 가격 기록, 금융 상품 또는 원치 않는 금융 프로모션의 거래 제안 또는 권유를 포함하지 않으며, 포함해서도 안됩니다.
이 웹사이트에 포함된 모든 의견, 뉴스, 리서치, 분석, 가격, 기타 정보 또는 제3자 사이트에 대한 링크와 같이 XM이 준비하는 콘텐츠 뿐만 아니라, 제3자 콘텐츠는 일반 시장 논평으로서 "현재" 기준으로 제공되며, 투자 조언으로 여겨지지 않습니다. 모든 콘텐츠가 투자 리서치로 해석되는 경우, 투자 리서치의 독립성을 촉진하기 위해 고안된 법적 요건에 따라 콘텐츠가 의도되지 않았으며, 준비되지 않았다는 점을 인지하고 동의해야 합니다. 따라서, 관련 법률 및 규정에 따른 마케팅 커뮤니케이션이라고 간주됩니다. 여기에서 접근할 수 있는 앞서 언급한 정보에 대한 비독립 투자 리서치 및 위험 경고 알림을 읽고, 이해하시기 바랍니다.