WSJ:Singapore Dollar Tad Lower Late Ahead Of Euro-Zone Events
Latest Change
USD/SGD 1.2920 +0.0017
Overnight Rate 0.05% Unchanged
2-Year Bond Yield 0.30% +2 bps
10-Year Bond Yield 1.61% +2 bps
2-Year Swap Offer 0.64% -1 bp
10-Year Swap Offer 2.11% -1 bp
2-10-Year Swap Curve 147 bps Unchanged
SINGAPORE (Dow Jones)--The Singapore dollar was slightly weaker against the U.S. dollar late Wednesday as investors eased off a recent rally in risk appetite ahead of key events in the debt-stricken euro zone.
Analysts said market participants are awaiting a meeting later in the global day where Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel and Italy's Prime Minister Mario Monti are likely to discuss efforts to contain the euro zone's sovereign debt problem. Also in focus are Spanish and Italian government bond auctions Thursday, and a meeting of the European Central Bank's monetary policy committee the same day.
Lifted by lingering euro-zone uncertainty, the U.S. dollar made most of its gains in early trade, pushing as high as S$1.2936, though plying a narrow range of S$1.2913 to S$1.2936 for much of the session.
Such uncertainty will underpin the U.S. currency's strength against the euro and Asian currencies in the near term, and should allow the greenback to drift higher against the Singapore dollar, said United Overseas Bank economist Suan Teck Kin.
"The upside for the U.S. dollar against the euro and other currencies is still there," Suan said, tipping the U.S. dollar to trade in a S$1.2854 to S$1.2990 band for the remainder of the global day.
Singapore government bonds eased across the curve as sentiment stayed positive in the local equities market, where most stocks extended Tuesday's rally.
-By Chun Han Wong, Dow Jones Newswires; +65 64154 160; chunhan.wong@dowjones.com