Dollar takes a hammering
 

(Down, down, down she goes ... if you want a reverse, don't bank on Bush,
he's poison to the markets...)

Dollar plummets to eight month low against euro

Wed Oct 20, 6:19 PM ET


NEW YORK (AFP) - The US dollar slumped to an eight-month low against the
euro, before regaining some strength, amid concerns about the US economy and
a widening American trade deficit.

At 2100 GMT, the euro was trading at 1.2585 dollars in late New York trade,
up from 1.2514 late Tuesday.


However, in earlier trading, the euro soared above the 1.26-dollar mark for
the first time since late February, striking 1.2627 dollars, as currency
traders continued to fret over the state of the US economy and skyrocketing
oil prices.


The dollar also declined against the yen, trading at 108.20 late Wednesday
from 108.28 a day earlier.


Traders said recent reports on the US economy had been tepid, and that this
has sparked fresh doubts about future interest rate hikes ahead of the next
Federal Reserve meeting on November 10.


"The dollar continues to lose ground against the major currencies as traders
assess just how quickly the United States can plug its growing trade
deficit," said Paul Jackson, a senior foreign exchange dealer at CMC Group.


Amid lingering doubts over the widening trade deficit, weak equity portfolio
flows and outflows of foreign direct investment, some market watchers said
the dollar may weaker even further.


"We now project the euro at 1.27 dollars in one month and at the all-time
highs of 1.29 in three months," said Daniel Katzive at UBS.


West LB analysts said political considerations were also playing a hand in
depressing sentiment on the dollar.


"Not only is the (US presidential) election outcome too close to call, but
media coverage about the risk that a re-elected Bush government may allow
the differences with Iran to escalate do not calm market nerves," they said.


The dollar's decline comes a day after JP Morgan said net foreign capital
flows into the United States fell to 59 billion in August dollars from a
revised 63.1 billion in July.


The bank's analysts said such data highlight the lack of capital inflows
into the United States at a time when the trade deficit is set to "test new
all-time highs."


JP Morgan economists believe the current account deficit could reach six
percent of GDP by year end due to high oil prices and a persistent
US-foreign demand growth gap.


In late New York trade, the dollar stood at 1.2217 Swiss francs from 1.2291
Tuesday.


The pound stood at 1.8161 dollars after 1.8042.



http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmp...s_afp/forex_us