• The U.S. dollar marched steadily higher on Monday, helped by a rise in Treasury yields on expectations that the Federal Reserve would continue raising interest rates despite criticism from President Donald Trump.
The dollar index .DXY, a measure of the currency against a basket of six rivals, was up 0.22 percent.
The greenback rose against the euro EUR= to $1.169, a gain of 0.24 percent.
The yen reached a two-week peak at 110.74 yen per dollar before retreating to 111.41 yen JPY=, little changed from Friday, Reuters data showed.
• Bond yields climbed as investors forecast the Federal Reserve will continue raising interest rates due to stronger growth and inflation pressures despite U.S. President Donald Trump’s criticism and after a Reuters report that the Bank of Japan (BoJ) is discussing modifying its huge stimulus program sent Japan’s 10-year bond yield JP10YT=RR soaring near six-month highs.
The report rekindled anxiety about whether monetary policymakers will continue lending support to the global economy and piled pressure on investors navigating rising protectionism.
U.S. 10-year Treasury yields US10YT=RR hit the highest in a month, trading at 2.9615 percent.
• U.S. home sales unexpectedly fell in June, posting their third straight monthly decline as a persistent shortage of properties on the market drove house prices to a record high.
Existing home sales slipped 0.6 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.38 million units last month, the NAR said. May’s sales pace was revised down to 5.41million units from the previously reported 5.43 million units.
• Harley-Davidson Inc (HOG.N) will give investors on Tuesday a fresh look at the impact of trade conflicts and a strong dollar on its profits, and analysts are bracing for bad news and more cost-cutting.
• The U.S. Trade Representative’s office said on Monday it would hold public hearings July 24 and 25 on its proposal to impose tariffs on a list of $16 billion worth of Chinese goods in response to what it claims are Beijing’s unfair trade practices.
The proposed tariffs are in response to China’s practices related to technology transfer, intellectual property and innovation, the USTR’s office said in a statement.
The United States currently has imposed tariffs on $34 billion worth of Chinese products, and proposal would raise to $50 billion the total amount of Chinese goods facing tariffs.
• China began an anti-dumping investigation on Monday into stainless steel imports worth $1.3 billion, including from a privately owned Chinese mill with operations offshore, after complaints of damage to the local industry.
The Commerce Ministry said the investigation will target imports of stainless steel billet and hot-rolled stainless steel sheet and plate from the European Union, Japan, South Korea and Indonesia, which nearly tripled last year.
• Chinese President Xi Jinping has just concluded a visit to the west African country of Senegal, the first stop of his four-leg tour of the African continent.
Senegal's coastal location could enable China to more easily access U.S. markets.
Senegal is the first West African country to sign up to China's Belt and Road Initiative, a multi-billion dollar plan to resurrect ancient trading routes centered on China.
• Venezuela’s inflation rate is likely to top 1,000,000 percent in 2018, an International Monetary Fund official wrote on Monday, putting it on track to become one of the worst hyperinflationary crises in modern history.
• Oil prices edged lower on Monday as the focus turned to oversupply worries, moving away from escalating tensions between the U.S. and Iran, which had driven prices higher early in the session.
Brent crude oil LCOc1 settled down 1 cent at $73.06 a barrel. U.S. crude CLc1 was down 37 cents at $67.89 a barrel, down from a session high of $69.31.
Reference: Reuters