Dollar hovers near five-month peak in Asia

The dollar hovered near a five-month high against a group of major currencies on Wednesday, as a surge in the benchmark 10-year Treasury yield above 3 percent reignited a rally that had lost steam last week. The dollar index versus a basket of six major peers stood at 93.270 after rallying to 93.457 overnight, its highest since December 22. It was still 0.05 percent higher than Tuesday.
The dollar has gained since mid-April as easing tensions in the Korean Peninsula and moves by China and the United States to avoid a full-blown trade war allowed investors to focus on the yield advantage the United States enjoys over other countries. The advance stalled last week after weaker-than-expected April US inflation data, but regained traction overnight as strong US consumer spending numbers sent long-term Treasury yields surging to a seven-year peak of 3.095 percent
The 10-year Treasury yield had hovered around 3 percent since late last month on concerns about rising inflation and a ballooning federal budget gap. But until Tuesday, it was unable to convincingly break above 3 percent. "The dollar stands to benefit, particularly against the euro, on higher Treasury yields. But against the yen, its advance could stall if the negative impact of higher yields on equities is prolonged," said Junichi Ishikawa, senior FX strategist at IG Securities in Tokyo.
The uptick in US yields which unnerved equity markets and sent Wall Street shares significantly lower on Tuesday. The yen's tends to draw demand in times of market turmoil and investor risk aversion. "The next focal point is trying to figure out the yield levels which are bearable for equities," Ishikawa said.
The euro was 0.05 percent lower at $1.1833 after brushing $1.1815, its weakest since late December. The dollar edged down 0.05 percent to 110.285 yen, having risen to 110.450 overnight, its strongest since February 5. The yen barely budged after data showed Japan's economy contracted for the first time in nine quarters during January-March.
The Australian dollar was largely flat at $0.7475 after sliding 0.7 percent overnight. The New Zealand dollar last traded at $0.6874 after plumbing a five-month trough of $0.6851. The pound was a shade weaker at $1.3501 after slipping to $1.3452 on Tuesday, its lowest since December 29.