SINGAPORE, June 20 (Reuters) – The British pound held
broadly steady on Thursday ahead of a rate decision from the
Bank of England (BoE) later in the day, while the dollar was on
the back foot as it awaited fresh market catalysts.
Currencies were trading in tight ranges following a holiday
in the United States and as investors looked not only to the BoE
but also central bank decisions in Switzerland and Norway.
Sterling last bought $1.2719 after having eked out
a slight gain in the previous session, while the euro
rose 0.03% to $1.0747.
The dollar slipped 0.05% against the yen to
157.99, though the Japanese currency remained not too far from
an over one-month low of 158.255 per dollar hit last week.
Against a basket of currencies, the greenback was little
changed at 105.23, some distance away from last week’s
one-month top.
The BoE is widely expected to keep rates steady on Thursday,
and the focus will be on any guidance on how soon an easing
cycle could begin.
While data on Wednesday showed British inflation returned to
its 2% target for the first time in nearly three years in May,
details of the report pointed to persistent underlying price
pressures – ruling out chances of an early rate cut.
“There’s no doubt they keep rates on hold,” said Tony
Sycamore, a market analyst at IG. “The headline numbers for
inflation were probably a welcome relief, but there were upside
surprises in services components again.
“Potentially they could open the door at the next meeting,
but it still seems like we’re two meetings away from a potential
rate cut there for me.”
The Swiss National Bank (SNB) is, however, expected to trim
its key policy rate by 25 basis points for a second straight
meeting, with recent strength in the Swiss franc and
benign domestic inflation adding to the case for looser monetary
conditions.
The Swissie last stood at 0.8840 per dollar, hovering near a
three-month high.
The Swiss franc similarly held near a four-month high of
0.94785 per euro hit in the previous session, as
the common currency continues to be pressured by political
turmoil in France and the wider bloc.
“The Swissie has performed quite well against the euro, and
inflation has been declining in Switzerland, so again, the
strength of the Swissie doesn’t play well for this idea that you
want to get inflation a little bit higher,” said Rodrigo Catril,
senior currency strategist at National Australia Bank.
Elsewhere, the Aussie edged 0.01% higher to
$0.6673, while the New Zealand dollar steadied at
$0.6131.
Data on Thursday showed New Zealand’s economy grew faster
than expected in the first quarter but remained soft. That did
little to alter market views on the country’s rate outlook.
(Reporting by Rae Wee; Editing by Edwina Gibbs)
