NEW YORK: The dollar fell on Friday as further declines in the shares of Credit Suisse and First Republic Bank rattled markets fearful of contagion and increased concerns that a recession lies ahead because of the impact of tighter monetary policy.
An early recovery in European stocks ran out of steam as investor sentiment remained fragile after a week of turbulence following the failure of Silicon Valley Bank on March 10.
US banks have sought a record $153 billion in emergency liquidity from the Federal Reserve in recent days, while the $54 billion loan for Credit Suisse and $30 billion lifeline for First Republic failed to halt their stock declines. Credit Suisse fell 8% in Europe and First Republic tumbled 30%.
The dollar index, a measure of the dollar against six other currencies, slid 0.604% as traders waited for the Fed’s two-day policy meeting that is expected to end with a one-quarter percentage point hike in interest rates on March 22.
Contracts for fed funds futures show a 61.3% probability that the Fed will raise rates by 25 basis points, according to CME’s FedWatch Tool. Futures also show the Fed will have cut rates by July in a sign recession fears are mounting as the US central bank tightens monetary policy to fight high inflation.
The euro rose 0.66% to $1.0675.
The rescue of First Republic on Thursday initially boosted risk appetite on Friday as concerns about global banks eased, making way for surges in the Australian and New Zealand dollars.
Sterling last traded at $1.2192, up 0.70%, while the dollar fell 0.39% against the Swiss franc. Earlier this week, the franc plunged the most against the dollar in one day since 2015, when the Swiss central bank loosened its currency peg.
The Japanese yen, which tends to benefit in times of extreme market volatility or stress, strengthened 1.48% versus the greenback to 131.77 per dollar.
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