© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: A U.S. dollar note (bottom) is pictured alongside an Australian 10 dollar (L) and 20 dollar bill in this picture illustration taken in Washington, October 14, 2010. REUTERS/Jason Reed/File Photo
By Gertrude Chavez-Dreyfuss
NEW YORK (Reuters) – The dollar rose to fresh seven-week peaks on Thursday after another round of solid economic data further pared back bets on easing by the Federal Reserve and amid market optimism about U.S. debt ceiling deal to avert a potential default.
Thursday’s reports showed lower-than-expected U.S. initial jobless claims of 242,000 in the latest week, compared with forecasts of 254,000.
Another piece of data indicated a milder-than-expected fall in a business index to -10.4 from the Philadelphia Federal Reserve. Markets were forecasting contraction of -19.8.
The touched a new seven-week high of 103.38, and was last up 0.5% at 103.34 after the economic numbers.
Against the yen, the dollar rose to a fresh five-month peak of 138.39 after the data and was last up 0.5% at 138.35.
Traders are pricing in around a 20% chance that the Federal Reserve raises its interest rate at its June meeting. Around a month ago, markets were pricing in around a 20% chance of a cut.
The rate traders have priced for the Fed’s December meeting stands at 4.525%, implying around 55 basis points of easing by year-end, down around 5 basis points from the day before.
The focus was also on debt ceiling talks.
President Joe Biden and top U.S. congressional Republican Kevin McCarthy on Wednesday underscored their determination to strike a deal soon to raise the government’s $31.4 trillion debt ceiling, having agreed a day earlier to negotiate directly after a months-long standoff.
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Currency bid prices at 9:00AM (1300 GMT)
Description RIC Last U.S. Close Pct Change YTD Pct High Bid Low Bid
Previous Change
Session
Dollar index 103.3300 102.8900 +0.44% -0.155% +103.3800 +102.7900
Euro/Dollar $1.0790 $1.0839 -0.44% +0.70% +$1.0848 +$1.0786
Dollar/Yen 138.2950 137.7050 +0.42% +5.48% +138.3900 +137.2850
Euro/Yen 149.21 149.22 -0.01% +6.36% +149.3100 +148.7800
Dollar/Swiss 0.9019 0.8986 +0.38% -2.45% +0.9022 +0.8982
Sterling/Dollar $1.2421 $1.2487 -0.52% +2.72% +$1.2493 +$1.2415
Dollar/Canadian 1.3484 1.3456 +0.20% -0.49% +1.3485 +1.3457
Aussie/Dollar $0.6620 $0.6659 -0.56% -2.85% +$0.6668 +$0.6621
Euro/Swiss 0.9731 0.9739 -0.08% -1.64% +0.9745 +0.9726
Euro/Sterling 0.8684 0.8680 +0.05% -1.82% +0.8701 +0.8679
NZ $0.6221 $0.6248 -0.40% -1.99% +$0.6269 +$0.6221
Dollar/Dollar
Dollar/Norway 10.8930 10.7630 +1.28% +11.08% +10.9000 +10.8030
Euro/Norway 11.7461 11.6749 +0.61% +11.93% +11.7590 +11.6680
Dollar/Sweden 10.5467 10.4458 +0.51% +1.33% +10.5493 +10.4405
Euro/Sweden 11.3808 11.3227 +0.51% +2.03% +11.3812 +11.3210
