US Dollar Surges Amid Global Turmoil

A sweeping Eurozone credit rating downgrade by Fitch and the unexpected death of North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong Il, has turned a once shaky U.S. dollar into a comparative safe haven in the currency market. The dollar jumped as much as 0.4% against its largest currency counterparts in response to the news, and edged up more in anticipation of a large French bond selloff and negative reports on stock index futures from the S&P 500. Increasing and unchecked Eurozone debt and a likely power struggle in North Korea are setting the stage for a strong dollar moving forward. For more on this continue reading the following article from TheStreet.

The US Dollar pushed broadly higher yesterday, adding as much as 0.4 percent on average against its leading counterparts, as stocks slumped in Asia to drive demand for the go-to safe haven currency. The MSCI Asia Pacific regional benchmark index fell 2.2 percent. Eurozone debt crisis jitters set off early selling after Fitch put the credit ratings of France, Belgium, Spain, Slovenia, Italy, Ireland and Cyprus under review for a downgrade, saying a solution to the region’s sovereign risk predicament is “ technically and politically beyond reach.”

The rout gained momentum following unexpected news that North Korean ruler Kim Jong-il has died, casting a cloud of uncertainty around the pariah state’s fate as well as that of its nuclear arsenal. The dictator’s youngest son Kim Jong-un is reportedly expected to take the reins after his two older brothers were sidelined in the succession process, the eldest for a botched attempt to visit the Disneyland in Tokyo and the next for being “too feminine”. This appears to make the landscape ripe for a power struggle. Indeed, if the deceased Kim’s own experience when he took over from his father is any indication, it will take at least several years for a single leader to consolidate power, hinting a period of regional instability may be ahead.

Looking ahead, the spotlight turns to a French bond auction where the Eurozone’s second-largest economy is set to sell as much as €7 billion in short-term paper. Traders will keep a close eye on demand levels and prevailing yields after the pickup in sovereign pressure overnight. Elsewhere, Eurozone finance ministers are expected to hold a conference call at 2:30 GMT to finalize details for channeling additional bailout funds to the IMF. Regional credit-default swap (CDS) rates – a measure of insuring against a default that rises at times of increasing stress – are ticking higher ahead of the opening bell in Europe, hinting the markets remain on edge. S&P 500 stock index futures are also firmly in negative territory, reinforcing the case for risk aversion and promising continued gains for the US Dollar .

Asia Session : What Happened

GMT	CCY	EVENT	ACT	EXP	PREV
21:00	NZD	Westpac NZ Consumer Confidence (4Q)	101.3	–	112.0
21:30	NZD	Performance Services Index (NOV)	56.6	–	51.0 (R+)
0:00	NZD	NBNZ Activity Outlook (DEC)	25.7	–	28.8
0:00	NZD	NBNZ Business Confidence (DEC)	16.9	–	18.3
0:01	GBP	Rightmove House Prices (MoM) (DEC)	-2.7%	–	-3.1% Get Started Claim up to $26,000 per W2 Employee Billions of dollars in funding available Funds are available to U.S. Businesses NOW This is not a loan. These tax credits do not need to be repaid The ERC Program is currently open, but has been amended in the past. We recommend you claim yours before anything changes.
0:01	GBP	Rightmove House Prices (YoY) (DEC)	1.5%	–	1.2%
5:30	JPY	Nationwide Department Store Sales (YoY) (NOV)	-1.9%	–	-0.5%
5:30	JPY	Tokyo Department Store Sales (YoY) (NOV)	-3.0%	–	-1.9%
–	JPY	Cabinet Office Monthly Economic Report	–	–	–

Euro Session: What to Expect

Critical Levels

This article was republished with permission from TheStreet.