· The dollar fell broadly on Monday on hopes that a U.S.-led strike on Syria would not lead to escalation, rekindling some appetite for stocks and other risky assets and spurring investors to reduce safe-haven holdings of the greenback.
An index that tracks the dollar against a basket of six currencies fell 0.39 percent, to 89.452. The dollar index hit a two-week low of 89.355 last week.
The greenback also extended losses against the yen. The dollar traded at 106.99 at 8:01 a.m. HK/SIN, compared to levels above the 107 level seen in the previous session.
· The pound pushed past the $1.43 mark on Monday and approached a post-Brexit referendum high as investors’ focus shifted to data that could cement expectations of a May interest rate increase and away from Britain’s military intervention in Syria.
· U.S. President Donald Trump accused Russia and China on Monday of devaluing their currencies while the United States raises interest rates.
· The United States accused Russia on Monday of blocking international inspectors from reaching the site of a suspected poison gas attack in Syria and said Russians or Syrians may have tampered with evidence on the ground.
Moscow denied the charge and blamed delays on retaliatory U.S.-led missile strikes on Syria on Saturday.
· U.S. President Donald Trump has delayed imposing additional sanctions on Russia and is unlikely to approve them unless Moscow carries out a new cyber attack or some other provocation, a senior administration official said on Monday.
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said on Sunday that Washington was preparing new sanctions on Russia over its support of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
“The ambassador got out ahead of things this time,” the senior administration official, who deals with the issue, told Reuters on condition of anonymity.
The Washington Post first reported that Trump had put a stop to a plan for additional economic sanctions on Russia.
· U.S. senators announced long-awaited legislation on Monday to provide congressional authorization for U.S. campaigns against militant groups in Iraq, Syria and elsewhere, part of a push to take back authority over the military from the White House.
· U.S. government watchdogs rapped two members of President Donald Trump’s Cabinet on Monday over their spending last year, adding pressure on an administration already roiled by ethics complaints.
· Democrats have a $10.5 million fundraising advantage over Republicans in the 25 most competitive races for seats the U.S. House of Representatives ahead of the November elections, according to an analysis by Reuters.
· Party leaders, encouraged by recent victories in special elections in Pennsylvania and Alabama, hope it will be enough to help them flip 24 seats needed in November to wrestle control of the chamber from Republicans.
· U.S. retail sales rebounded in March after three straight monthly declines as households boosted purchases of motor vehicles and other big-ticket items, suggesting consumer spending was heading into the second quarter with some momentum.
· May justified her action in bypassing a parliament vote on military action, saying she was driven by the need to decide quickly about joining the United States and France in Saturday’s strikes, made in retaliation for a suspected poison gas attack.
Saying she had no doubt the “Syrian regime” was behind the April 7 gas attack which she called a “stain on humanity”, May told lawmakers she had acted in the national interest. She refused to be drawn on whether she would seek their approval for future action.
· China increased its Treasury holdings in February by $8.5 billion, its biggest purchase in six months, but Japan's holdings declined.
China's Treasury holdings rose to just under $1.18 trillion, according to the Treasury. Foreign net buying of Treasurys was $43.2 billion for the month.
· Oil prices dropped on Monday as investor concern waned about escalating tensions in the Middle East following air strikes on Syria over the weekend.
Brent crude oil futures LCOc1 settled down $1.16 at $71.42, while U.S. crude futures CLc1 were down $1.17 at $66.22 a barrel.
The United States, France and Britain launched 105 missiles on Saturday, targeting what they said were three chemical weapons facilities in Syria in retaliation for a suspected poison gas attack on April 7.
Oil prices had risen nearly 10 percent in the run-up to the strikes, as investors bulked up on assets, such as gold or U.S. Treasuries, that can shield against geopolitical risks.
Reference: Reuters, CNBC
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