US dollar wallows near 4-week lows as Janet Yellen sounds cautious note

Dollar Flanked, Close to Four-Weeks Lows

After the remark of Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen failed to toss a lifebuoy to the recently plunging greenback, the dollar flanked up though still reeled close to four weeks lows against a basket of currencies on Tuesday. The index of the dollar that tracks U.S. currency against a basket of six main rivals pushed up 0.1% to 94.017, though it stayed within sight of its overnight low of 93.745, the weakest level since May 11.

However Yellen had remained comparatively enthusiastic regarding the overall U.S. economic outlook, stating that the Fed would hike the interest rate, she provided no fresh clues about timing, calling the last month’s U.S. jobs data as `disappointing’. Sue Trinh, senior currency strategist at RBC Capital Markets in Hong Kong, had commented that `she was positive though compared to her speech of May 27, when she had said a move would have been suitable `in the coming months’, she had not been specific regarding the timing’. The dollar seemed to be under pressure since the Friday reports of the U.S. nonfarm payrolls had indicated the slowest job growth in more than five years in May, suppressing prospects for a near-term U.S. interest rate rise.

Recent Currency Market `Orderly’

The U.S. interest rate futures implicated traders had all but priced out any chance the Fed would raise rates at its policy meeting next week, even before Yellen had spoken. The dollar had upturned its previous losses against the yen and rose 0.2% to 107.81 yen pulling away from the previous session’s low of 106.35, its weakest in a month.

It stayed wary of levels above 109 yen, where it remained as recently on Friday. The Japanese Finance Minister, Taro Aso, earlier on Tuesday informed reporters that he would desist from commenting on the possible response of Japan on the currency market if the yen was to rise further. He also declined to comment on the remarks of U.S. Treasury Secretary Jack Lew over the weekend which described the recent currency market movement as `orderly’ as an indication of caution towards the currency intervention.

Recent Unstable Sterling Marked Hard Rebound

The euro had pushed up 0.1% to $1.1360, reversing toward the earlier sessions’ almost one-month high of $1.1393. The recent unstable sterling marked a hard rebound after dipping more than 1% to three week lows in the earlier session, resulting in several polls ahead of the June 23 poll preferred the chance of British voters choosing to leave the European Union.

However the two polls in Tuesday’s newspaper portrayed Britons narrowly preferred staying the EU, when compared to the surveys released earlier. The pound had added 0.7% to $1.4524 after moving a one-week high of $1.4664 and on Monday had followed a low of $1.4352, its deepest all-time low since May 16. The Australian dollar had risen 0.6% to $0.7413 to one-month high after Reserve Bank of Australia had held policy stable as anticipated. It stated that its decision had been steady with maintainable growth. According to a Reuter’s poll, the central bank is broadly likely to hold rates at record low of 1.75% after its cut in May, with 49 of 52 economist’s surveyed sightingthe RBA standing pat.

Strong and sustainable growth for the luxury industry in Asia!

Asia as a whole is the heaven for the future of luxury industries more than ever. According to the economist’s views the economic crisis has little effect in the luxury industry throughout the world. For one simple reason: in the crisis, the poor get poorer, but the rich get richer, and the consumption of products they love increases because they have more resources to buy them, while general consumption stagnates or declines. In Europe, sales of luxury goods is expected to increase by more than 6% in 2013, while overall consumption stagnates, the United States will increase by more than 9% worldwide, 10% alone in Asia, excluding China and Japan, the increase in the sale of luxury goods is expected to be 15% and China at 20%, well beyond the expected GDP growth of 7%. This amazing forecast of 20% growth for luxury goods in China was announced on June 11 in Hong Kong by an luxury goods analyst at HSBC bank, in a speech entitled "The influence of China emerging market for luxury goods in Asia, "the French Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong. Asia, excluding China and Japan, is currently the site of half the growth of sales of luxury goods in the world. The Chinese take an even more important in this area. 75% of revenues from the sale of luxury goods in Hong Kong and Macau are made by mainland Chinese. They are more likely to make the trip to Hong Kong and Macao, as well as Taiwan and Singapore, where they buy luxury goods. When a Chinese travel abroad, he spends an average of 875 Euros in products like branded watches and wine for men, jewelry and readymade garments for women.. No doubt he will reckon with the effect of campaigns by the Chinese authorities against corruption and for a lifestyle of modest appearance. But it seems that for the time being, this effect is limited to only a little lower the price level of goods bought - a watch 4 000 and not more than 10 000 - and especially to moderate the exhibition luxury. The affluent Chinese still want luxury, but a more discreet luxury. To say that the Europe has its part to play in this game and she plays so well. It is further necessary that the luxury industries are not disabled by retaliation against the Customs anti-dumping measures against Chinese solar panels.