Dollar Rises Ahead of NFP

The dollar rose against the major currencies, but within a narrow range, as traders awaited the monthly jobs report for clues on the pace of the return of the Federal Reserve’s policies (the US central bank) to normalcy.

The dollar index, which measures the performance of the US currency against a basket of six other major currencies, rose 0.1 percent to 94.278, close to last week’s peak of 94.504.

The dollar rose 0.26 percent to 111.91 yen, touching 111.93, the highest level this month, supported by a rise in Treasury yields, with the benchmark 10-year bond hitting 1.6010 percent for the first time since June 4.

The euro consolidated around $1.1550 after falling on Wednesday to a 14-month low of $1.1529.

The Fed said it is likely to start reducing its monthly bond purchases in November and may continue to raise interest rates next year, as the US central bank’s shift away from policies to confront the Corona pandemic gathers momentum.

A Reuters poll expected Friday’s non-farm payroll data to show continued improvement in the labor market, with expectations of adding 500,000 jobs in September, although estimates ranged between 250 thousand and 700 thousand jobs.

On the other hand, the Australian dollar fell 0.22 percent to $0.7297, after rising 0.55 percent on Thursday. And earlier touched $0.7324 for the second day in a row, its strongest performance since Sept. 16.

The British pound fell 0.1 percent to 1.3600 dollars, retaining most of its gains made yesterday, amounting to 0.26 percent.

The Canadian dollar was little changed and settled at 1.25515 per dollar, after hitting its highest level in a month at 1.2534 Canadian dollars earlier, due to the rise in oil prices.