Investing.com– Most Asian currencies edged lower on Monday as the dollar remained near a three-week high ahead of a U.S. Federal Reserve meeting this week, while mixed economic data from China spurred concerns over a sluggish economic recovery.
The Fed is expected to cut by 25 basis points this week, however, the dollar has been bolstered by expectations of a slower rate cut path by the Fed in 2025.
The inched slightly lower in Asian trade on Monday but was hovering near a three-week high. The were marginally lower.
Chinese yuan slips after mixed economic data
The Chinese yuanās onshore Ā pair rose 0.2% and remained near a two-year high, while the offshore pair Ā edged 0.1% higher.
Chinese Ā grew as expected in November as recent stimulus measures from Beijing supported business activity, data showed on Monday.
However, Ā for November were much lower compared to forecasts, and below last yearās reading, reflecting ongoing weakness in consumer spending despite policy support.
āHousehold confidence clearly remains soft, and it remains to be seen if the āvigorous supportā for consumption promised next year will be effective in stimulating a recovery. We expect the rollout of supportive policies could take some time, but overall retail sales growth should recover in 2025,ā ING analysts said in a note.
The lingering slowdown in China is weighing on regional currencies. China’s weaker-than-expected retail sales and ongoing challenges in its recovery are creating uncertainty across the broader Asia-Pacific region.
Dollar near 3-week high, Asia FX dips
The dollar index hovered near its highest level since November 26, even as traders positioned for a Fed rate cut next week.
The outlook for regional currencies remains pressured.
Incoming President Donald Trumpās plans to impose additional tariffs on China and the country’s measures to combat the tariffs are both expected to be dollar-positive.
The Japanese yenās Ā pair inched up 0.1% as Reuters reported the Bank of Japan was likely to keep Ā unchanged this week, in contrast to earlier expectations of a hike.
The Singapore dollarās Ā pair inched slightly higher, while the Australian dollarās Ā pair gained 0.3%.
The Indian rupeeās Ā pair was largely unchanged, remaining near an all-time high hit last week.
The South Korean wonās Ā pair inched higher. Countryās President Yoon Suk Yeol was impeached in a second vote by the opposition-led parliament on Saturday, over his attempt to impose martial law in the country.
South Korea’s finance ministry vowed on Sunday to continue to swiftly deploy market stabilizing measures as needed to support the economy after the impeachment.