The Singapore dollar weakened against the U.S. dollar on Thursday, handing back gains from a day earlier in the first session of a highly unpredictable quarter.
The U.S. dollar was quoted at S$1.4273 near the end of the Asian trading, compared with S$1.4221 around the same time Wednesday.
The third quarter “ended with a positive frame of mind with ‘risk on,'” ANZ said in a note. “However, overall risks do not seem to have dramatically receded.”
Economic data was the main focus of Thursday’s trading. China’s closely watched purchasing managers’ index showed a very small improvement in September from August, according to official data, which helped sentiment. Singapore’s own data showed some deterioration for the country’s manufacturing and electronics sectors, analysts noted.
Singapore government bond yields were little-changed. The yield on the benchmark 10-year Singapore government bond was flat at 2.54%. The yield on the two-year bond fell 0.01 percentage point to 1.34%, implying slightly higher prices.
