Monthly Foreign Exchange Outlook
Monthly Foreign Exchange Outlook
Outlook
DEREK HALPENNY
Head of Research,
Global Markets EMEA and July 2025
International Securities
Global Markets Research
Global Markets Division for EMEA
E: [email protected]
KEY EVENTS IN THE MONTH AHEAD
LEE HARDMAN
Senior Currency Analyst 1) RECIPROCAL TARIFFS & US DOLLAR
Global Markets Research The June closing rates marked the half-way point of the calendar year and the US
Global Markets Division for EMEA
E: [email protected]
dollar decline of 10.7% (DXY) was the worst performance for the dollar over the first
six months of the calendar year since 1973. The same can be said for President
LIN LI Trump’s first 150 days in office – the drop for the dollar was the largest of any
Head of Global Markets Research Asia
Global Markets Research
presidential term in the floating exchange rate era back to Richard Nixon. Trump’s
Global Markets Division for Asia erratic trade policies are only part of the reason for the performance. The dollar prior
E: [email protected]
to ‘Liberation Day’ was also at that point the worst performance of the dollar in any
KHANG SEK LEE presidential term. While we remain US dollar bearish, we also believe the scale of
Associate
dollar depreciation will be much less in H2 than in H1. We forecast DXY dropping by
Global Markets Research
Global Markets Division for Asia a further 2.2% by year-end with EUR/USD at 1.2000. In July, the obvious key date to
E: [email protected] watch is the 9th July – the expiry of the suspension of reciprocal tariffs. There’s a
MICHAEL WAN chance this may pass without much volatility if, as suggested by the Trump
Senior Currency Analyst administration, up to 10 trade deals are signed with key trading partners of the US.
Global Markets Research There will also be more focus now on the passage of the ‘One Big Beautiful Bill Act’
Global Markets Division for Asia
E: [email protected]
and how quickly that can be agreed between the House and the Senate. The original
target of Trump to sign a deal into law by 4th July will not be met. The removal of
LLOYD CHAN
Senior Currency Analyst
Section 899 takes one contentious element out of the bill but it will still likely threaten
further the confidence investors have in US debt sustainability.
Global Markets Research
Global Markets Division for Asia 2) CENTRAL BANK MEETINGS AND SINTRA
E: [email protected]
Five G10 central banks will meet in July – the RBA (8th July); the RBNZ (9th); the
SOOJIN KIM ECB (24th); the FOMC (30th); and the BoJ (31st). We expect the RBA to cut its policy
Analyst, ESG and
Emerging Markets Research –
rate by 25bps given the recent weaker inflation and the fact that a 50bp cut was
EMEA discussed at the last meeting. The other central banks are likely to keep their policy
DIFC Branch – Dubai stances on hold although a very weak US jobs report and benign CPI print for June
E: [email protected] could bring the FOMC into play. The other key central bank event will be the annual
gathering hosted by the ECB in Sintra, Portugal running at the very beginning of July.
MAURICIO NAKAHODO
Senior Economist The key panel discussion will be on 1st July and will involve BoE Governor Bailey,
Fed Chair Powell, BoJ Governor Ueda and President Lagarde. President Lagarde
Banco MUFG Brasil S.A.
E: [email protected] will give a closing speech on 2nd July.
China has confirmed the news of a finalized trade framework with the US, although
MUFG Bank, Ltd. details are still unknown. We don’t expect the final deal on tariff rates will be much
A member of MUFG, a global financial group
different from the currently implemented 41%, as the focus of negotiations, implied by
both sides’ communications, is more about exports restrictions than tariffs
specifically. In addition to tariff stress, the Chinese economy faces domestic
challenges too and July’s politburo meeting will shed some light on potential stimulus
measures ahead.
MAJORS LATAM
Australian dollar 14
Canadian dollar 16
Norwegian krone 17
Swedish krona 18
Swiss franc 19
Polish zloty 22
Romanian leu 23
Russian rouble 24
Turkish lira 26
ASIA
Indian rupee 27
Indonesian rupiah 28
Malaysian ringgit 29
Philippine peso 30
Singapore dollar 31
Taiwan dollar 33
Thai baht 34
Vietnamese dong 35
Spot close
Q3 2025 Q4 2025 Q1 2026 Q2 2026
30.06.25
DXY 97.067 96.490 95.060 93.530 92.680
JPY 144.30 142.00 140.00 138.00 136.00
EUR 1.1746 1.1800 1.2000 1.2200 1.2300
GBP 1.3702 1.3800 1.3950 1.4100 1.4140
CNY 7.1637 7.2500 7.2500 7.2300 7.2000
AUD 0.6557 0.6500 0.6600 0.6700 0.6800
NZD 0.6077 0.6000 0.6100 0.6200 0.6300
CAD 1.3634 1.3600 1.3500 1.3300 1.3200
NOK 10.117 10.000 9.8330 9.5900 9.4310
SEK 9.5024 9.4920 9.2500 9.0160 8.8620
CHF 0.7953 0.7970 0.7920 0.7830 0.7800
Spot close
Q3 2025 Q4 2025 Q1 2026 Q2 2026
30.06.25
USD/JPY 144.30 142.00 140.00 138.00 136.00
EUR/USD 1.1746 1.1800 1.2000 1.2200 1.2300
Consensus Consensus Consensus Consensus
USD/JPY 142.00 140.00 139.00 138.00
EUR/USD 1.1500 1.1700 1.1800 1.1800
MARKET UPDATE
USD selling versus EUR continues In June the US dollar weakened further against the euro in terms of London closing
rates, from 1.1351 to 1.1746. However, the dollar strengthened modestly against the
yen, from 144.10 to 144.30. The FOMC, at its meeting in June, maintained the range
for the federal funds rate at 4.25% to 4.50%, the level reached following 100bps of
cuts last year. The FOMC is reducing its securities holdings with the pace of QT via
the cap of UST bonds allowed to roll off the balance sheet now at just USD 5bn. The
pace of reduction in the holdings of MBS is running at around USD 15bn per month.
OUTLOOK
Terrible USD performance a sign of The US dollar weakened notably again and in DXY terms fell 2.5% in June. In June
changing times we also passed the 150-day mark of President Trump’s second term in office and the
period saw the worst ever performance for the US dollar in all presidential terms in
the floating exchange rate era (back to Nixon). In addition, the dollar fell by 10.7% in
the first half of 2025 which was the worst first 6mth period of a calendar year on
record. Trump’s unpredictable approach to economic policy and the potential harm
this could do to the US economy is part of what has driven the dollar weaker. But
there are other factors too like the dollar being extremely overvalued (close to Plaza
levels from 1985 in REER terms), the end of negative rates in global fixed income
markets and Trump’s trade tariffs forcing Europe and China to focus on policies to
strengthen domestic demand conditions. The Fed’s Advanced Economy dollar index
in real terms remains around 15% above the long-term average covering the period
since 1975. There is ample scope for this correction to continue.
Fed has more work to do over the Trump’s trade tariff risks to inflation has hindered the Fed’s ability to cut rates and
coming 12mths this means the Fed likely has more easing to do than most of the rest of G10 central
banks. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick’s comments that there could be 10
trade deals signed before the 9th July reciprocal tariff reactivation date (Stephen
Miran also mentioned this) makes it much more likely that widespread high tariff rates
will not be implemented. That is good news for the global economy and it is good
news for the Fed. More modest tariff rates on a smaller number of countries will raise
the prospect of CPI being lower than feared and will open up the prospect of the
FOMC being more active in cutting rates. July remains plausible if the NFP and CPI
data in July prove much weaker than expected. While it can be argued that less trade
policy disruption is good for the US as well, we see a cyclical slowdown as still likely
given the prolonged period of restrictive monetary policy. Consumers are no longer
flush with excess savings and Trump’s economic policies will likely remain erratic and
unpredictable thus curtailing business investment and hiring.
More modest USD depreciation in H2 Having just seen the largest Jan–Jun dollar depreciation since 1973, we expect H2
selling to be more modest. Given the H1 DXY drop of 10.7%, we assume a more
modest 2.2% decline in H2, targeting EUR/USD at 1.2000 by year-end. A larger DXY
drop risk may stem from USD/JPY falling below our forecast.
Largest Jan–Jun dollar depreciation % CHANGE IN DXY FROM JANUARY TO JUNE BY YEAR
since 1973
Soft data flagging risk of higher MUFG GMR US INFLATION INDEX VS. OFFICIAL CPI YOY, %
inflation ahead
Spot close
Q3 2025 Q4 2025 Q1 2026 Q2 2026
30.06.25
USD/JPY 144.30 142.00 140.00 138.00 136.00
EUR/JPY 169.49 167.60 168.00 168.40 167.30
Consensus Consensus Consensus Consensus
USD/JPY 142.00 140.00 139.00 138.00
EUR/JPY 164.00 164.00 163.00 162.50
MARKET UPDATE
JPY weakens further In June the yen weakened versus the US dollar in terms of London closing rates from
144.10 to 144.30. In addition, the yen weakened versus the euro from 163.57 to
169.49. The BoJ at its meeting in June maintained the key policy rate at 0.50%,
following the 25bp hike in January, the first 25bp rate hike since before the GFC in
2007. The BoJ is also continuing with the policy of cutting JGB monthly purchases at
a pace of JPY 400bn per quarter but announced in June that the pace of reduction
will be reduced to JPY 200bn per quarter effective from Q2 2026.
OUTLOOK
Yen underperformance The yen weakened marginally versus the US dollar in June and apart from the dollar
was the worst performing G10 currency in June. The yen suffered more than most
earlier in June as the Middle East geopolitical risks fuelled a surge in crude oil prices
that hit the yen given Japan’s dependency on imported energy. We would assume
that if the Middle East remains more stable then this risk premium will shrink helping
the yen to catch up and potentially outperform. Besides the geopolitical risk, the
outlook for crude oil is quite bearish as was underlined by the IEA monthly report in
June. As mentioned here last month, FDI outflows may have also played a role in
yen underperformance. The purchase of US Steel Corp by Nippon Steel could have
been a supportive factor for USD/JPY in June although there is no way of knowing
when and how exactly that flow may go through the FX market. If it has gone through
it adds to the scope for the yen to play catch-up and outperform going forward.
Yen support from BoJ The yen may have been negatively hit by the actions to limit upside risks to JGB
yields. The BoJ announced at its meeting in June that the pace of QT per quarter
would be cut from JPY 400bn per month to JPY 200bn – this had been flagged
ahead of the announcement as a possibility. The MoF also cut the issuance of super-
long JGBs that should help reduce upside yield risks. However, we see rates at the
front-end of the curve as being more important and issuance at the front-end will
increase in the updated MoF plans while the BoJ is likely to turn more hawkish and
potentially could be in a position to hike rates again by September. The US tariff
plans will be important but there is a good chance that Japan will reach a deal with
the US to avoid the reciprocal tariff and possibly to reduce the auto tariff to the
baseline 10%, subject to a quota. Inflation remains high and food inflation in
particular could influence inflation expectations. Shunto wage negotiations mean
another year of strong wage growth and the continued weakness of the yen will likely
encourage a more hawkish approach by the BoJ. The US will likely be expecting
such an approach given their complaints over the BoJ policy impact on the yen.
Yen gains ahead Divergence in monetary policy should become more apparent in H2 with the Fed
restarting its easing cycle and still high inflation in Japan prompting BoJ monetary
tightening. Reciprocal tariffs hitting Japan would curtail BoJ action but not Fed action
and hence we still see scope for yen gains from still very undervalued levels.
BoJ cautious for now but another hike The 10-year JGB yield declined in June, by 7bps to close at 1.43%. The drop
seems most likely followed a sharp rise in May when there were signs of increased investor concerns
over debt sustainability and supply-demand imbalances. This was adressed through
the BoJ QT pace being cut by 50% to JPY 200bn worth of JGB purchases per month
per quarter. The MoF also shifted issuance to shorter maturities to help the long-end.
Risks will remain and renewed UST bond instability would have knock-on effects on
JGBs as well. We also have seen foreign investors return to the JGB market in June
with weekly data showing foreign investor buying in three of the last four weeks so
sentiment has improved. There is only currently 5bps of tightening priced for the
September meeting and given the inflation data in June surpirsed to the upside, we
believe the markets are under-estimating the risks. A credible strategy for helping
stabilise longer-term yields would be modest monetary tightening to enhance inflation
credibility and help to strengthen the yen. We continue to expect a moderate
increase in 10-year JGB yields over the forecast period.
Stable Middle East supportive for the USD/JPY VS. CRUDE OIL
yen
Spot close
Q3 2025 Q4 2025 Q1 2026 Q2 2026
30.06.25
EUR/USD 1.1746 1.1800 1.2000 1.2200 1.2300
EUR/JPY 169.49 167.60 168.00 168.40 167.30
Consensus Consensus Consensus Consensus
EUR/USD 1.1500 1.1700 1.1800 1.1800
EUR/JPY 164.00 164.00 163.00 162.50
MARKET UPDATE
EUR advances In June the euro strengthened marginally versus the US dollar in terms of London
closing rates, moving from 1.1351 to 1.1746. The ECB, at its meeting in June cut the
key policy rate by 25bps to 2.00%, following 175bp of cuts since last year. The ECB
is running down APP securities and started PEPP run-off in July last year with about
EUR 425bn of securities estimated to roll off the balance sheet in 2025.
OUTLOOK
EUR gains notably After a month of consolidation in May the euro broke further higher in June hitting a
high versus the US dollar not seen since September 2021, well before the Russian
invasion of Ukraine that triggered a major move lower. The euro was in fact the
number one performing G10 currency in June with some developments reinforcing
confidence amongst investors that Europe can manage with further currency
strength. The German IFO Business Climate Index, the Composite PMI and the ZEW
Expectations index all increased in data released in June underlining increased
optimism linked to Germany’s fiscal expansion plans that will see both infrastructure
and defence spending increase notably. The NATO summit in June also resulted in
an agreement for countries to reach a defence spending target of 5% of GDP by
2035 which will also likely benefit German companies more given the greater
weighting in manufacturing toward defence compared to other countries. ECB
President Lagarde at the policy meeting in June repeated her comments made in
May that there was an opportunity for the euro to increase its role as a reserve
currency highlighting the openness of the authorities to further currency appreciation.
Further gains likely We have raised our EUR/USD forecasts by two to three big figures (previous Q3; Q4;
Q1 2026 1.1500; 1.1800; 1.2000) reflecting the unanticipated speed of the move
higher to this point and the still relatively conservative pricing for Fed rate cuts
through H2 compared to our expectations. We have maintained our view that the
ECB will cut on two further occasions this year based on the assumption that the US
will introduce a 20% reciprocal tariff on the EU. The communication from President
Lagarde was certainly consistent with the ECB ending its back-to-back pace of cuts
and moving to a quarterly pace. If the reciprocal tariff plans prove less than expected
for the EU or globally, the ECB may be more cautious in cutting. ECB officials have
been clear that they believe the job of bringing inflation back under control has been
achieved and to cut further would reflect risks to the downside for inflation. A credible
inflation targeting track record and a AAA sovereign credit at the heart of Europe
could well prove attractive for global investors seeking to diversify away from the US
and ECB bond flow data does show a stable, notable inflow from abroad.
EUR higher with 1.2000 very Given the EUR gains and seeing limited risk for any notable correction lower, we see
achievable now the 1.2000-level now as very achievable later this year. The euro remains the anti-
dollar and small shifts in portfolio flows or hedging to reduce US dollar exposure will
inevitably be to the benefit of Europe and the euro.
10-year bund yields more stable ahead The 10-year bund yield increased again, by 11bps to close at 2.61%. With the ECB
policy rate now at the widely deemed neutral rate, the 10-year yield is likely to
reflect that more by trading in narrower ranges going forward. Of course a sudden
risk-off shock will fuel volatility but the euro-zone economy is now on a better footing
with fiscal policy set to expand notably in Germany. With Germany having ample
capacity for fiscal loosening, the impact has been modest with the 10-year yield
trading mostly in a 2.40%-2.60% range, the same range as in January and February
before the German fiscal announcement that saw the 10-year yield surge through the
2.80% level. We also suspect that low inflation will act to counter fiscal-related upside
pressures on yields. The negotiated wage annual growth tracker for the euro-zone
has plunged from over 5% at the end of last year to signal a year-end rate for this
year of just 1.425%. The scale of euro appreciation will also add to disinflationary
pressures that will help limit upside yield pressures on fiscal expansion. The ECB’s
EUR TWI is up nearly 6% year-to-date. We see the 10-year German bund yield
trading only modestly lower and remaining in a relatively narrow range.
Slowing wage growth should feed NEGOTIATED WAGES VS. SERVICES CPI YOY, %
through to lower service sector
inflation
Spot close
Q3 2025 Q4 2025 Q1 2026 Q2 2026
30.06.25
EUR/GBP 0.8572 0.8550 0.8600 0.8650 0.8700
GBP/USD 1.3702 1.3800 1.3950 1.4100 1.4140
GBP/JPY 197.72 196.00 195.30 194.60 192.30
Consensus Consensus Consensus Consensus
GBP/USD 1.3500 1.3600 1.3700 1.3800
MARKET UPDATE
GBP appreciation versus USD In June the pound strengthened further against the US dollar in terms of London
closing rates from 1.3477 to 1.3702. However, the pound weakened against the euro
from 0.8422 to 0.8572. The MPC, at its meeting in June, kept the key policy rate
unchanged at 4.25% which followed four 25bp cuts since August last year.
OUTLOOK
Risk conditions important for GBP For much of June the pound lagged in performance versus G10 but then went from
one of the worst performing currencies to finish June the third best performing
currency. The turnaround coincided with the shift in risk conditions following the
ceasefire between Israel and Iran. While there was no big risk-off move given
equities remain well underpinned, inflation risks jumped following the surge in crude
oil prices. The UK, more than most, is more vulnerable to day-to-day energy market
moves (in particular natural gas) due to limited storage capacity and the surge in
energy prices was a bigger negative risk for the UK. The ceasefire and the 15%
plunge in crude oil prices helped lower natural gas prices and the outlook if
geopolitics stabilises is bearish for oil, as was underlined by the IEA in its monthly
report. An external shock is not what the UK needs given the signs of a weakening
labour market. The PAYE jobs data revealed a 109k drop in employment. The PMI
Composite data for Q2 (49.83) was lower than in Q1 (50.86) when real GDP growth
expanded by 0.7% Q/Q pointing to that being a one-off. Real GDP is expected to
slow back to 0.2% or possibly even 0.1% Q/Q in Q2.
MPC could become more open to a Weak underlying growth could well at some stage prompt a shift in the MPC’s
faster pace of rate cuts “gradual and careful” approach to monetary easing – which is seen as implying one
cut per quarter. The MPC vote of 6-3 highlights a risk bias to cut faster and the
statement cited the potential for labour market slack to open up and help moderate
wage growth going forward. The MPC added that it would remain “vigilant” about
Middle East developments but with that inflation risk fading it certainly would help the
case for a faster pace of cuts although that will be determined more from domestic
factors, and most specifically pay growth. Hence, if the PAYE jobs data was to
confirm a softer labour market with further job losses and energy prices were to
remain under control with better Middle East conditions, we could well see a faster
pace of cuts emerge later in the year. We also are likely to see the BoE announce a
slowing of the pace of QT. Governor Bailey in June stated that the QT decision would
be “more interesting” this year and that pervious debt market conditions and sell-offs
would be factors taken into account when reviewed. A decision will be announced at
the September MPC meeting.
GBP support but a faster MPC easing Pound gains versus the dollar but depreciation versus the euro remains the view.
a pace a bigger risk Relative to last month we see increased risks that the MPC could go back-to-back
with cuts in August and September if labour market data remains weak. That points
to downside risks for GBP relative to our forecasts.
More conviction in lower Gilt yields The 10-year Gilt yield declined in June, by 16bps to close at 4.49%. The big move in
June came on the day of the release of the labour market data and the 109k drop in
employment reported from PAYE tax data provided the strongest indication yet that
the UK labour market is weakening. The data also revealed a sharper slowdown in
wage growth and the data led the MPC to conclude that “slack was opening up” in
the jobs market that should see wage growth slow. Easing geopolitical risks and a
sharp reversal in natural gas prices will help ease concerns over upside risks to
inflation. We will need to see continued weak labour market data for upside inflation
risks to ease enough to allow for back-to-back rate cuts – this is certainly becoming a
bigger risk. Governor Bailey has also signalled the scope for a cut to the pace of QT
from the current GBP 100bn per year which is likely now being priced and helping
limit upside momentum in yields. With a trade deal in place with the US, reciprocal
tariffs being implemented would likely be seen by the UK as a negative global
demand shock that would potentially add to the chances of a pick-up in the pace of
easing. We maintain our view of modestly lower 10-year Gilt yields.
GBP strengthens as risk of another GBP/USD VS. CRUDE OIL FUTURES (INVERTED)
negative energy price shock recedes
Spot close
Q3 2025 Q4 2025 Q1 2026 Q2 2026
30.06.25
USD/CNY 7.1637 7.2500 7.2500 7.2300 7.2000
USD/HKD 7.8499 7.8400 7.8400 7.8400 7.8400
Consensus Consensus Consensus Consensus
USD/CNY 7.2000 7.1900 7.1900 7.1300
USD/HKD 7.8000 7.8000 7.8000 7.8000
MARKET UPDATE
Mild CNY appreciation against US In June, USD/CNY moved from 7.1975 to 7.1637. On 20th June, the PBoC kept the
dollar in June 1Y and 5Y LPR at 3.00% and 3.50% respectively, after lowering them by 10bps in
the prior month.
OUTLOOK
Doubling down on consumption The release of May’s economic data pointed to slowing economic growth dragged
initiatives would still be the best lower by an underwhelming housing sector and decelerating growth in manufacturing
defence against external headwind FAI and infrastructure FAI. That said, the government’s trade-in programs helped to
ahead support stronger-than-expected retail sales growth in May, though seasonal factors
and an earlier promotion of the “618” shopping festival may have also played a role.
Looking ahead, the government would likely continue to focus on boosting
consumption, as well as giving more attention to the housing sector. For the former,
the NDRC confirmed that the third batch of funds for the consumer goods trade-in
program will be dispatched in July after allocating RMB 81bn each in January and
April, providing a well-paced dispatchment to sustain retail sales growth momentum.
While the entire annual fund of RMB 300bn is expected to only be used up by year-
end as planned, a mild top-up is possible as external downward pressure intensifies
in 2H. Meanwhile, six state organizations including the PBoC jointly issued guidelines
on 24th June to step up financial support to boost consumption with 19 measures
from 6 aspects, among which is to encourage financial institutions to extend loans to
the services consumption sector through structural policy tools. In addition, we think
the government will roll out additional measures to stabilize the housing market, as it
matters for consumer sentiment and their willingness to spend.
The negative impact of tariffs should Our call for a mild increase of USD/CNY largely rests on a weaker growth outlook for
become more visible on China’s China’s economy. We expect a growth slowdown from 5.4% in Q1 to 4.2-4.3% in Q4
exports and overall economy, weighing putting downward pressure on the CNY albeit partly offset by broad-based US dollar
on CNY weakness. Our FX forecast considers a potential final tariff imposed by US on its
imports from China not much different from current 41%. Recently, Howard Lutnick
told Bloomberg that China is going to deliver rare earths to US and once China did
that, “we’ll take down our countermeasures”. We think that the focus of tariff talks
between US and China may be more on exports and investment/technology
restrictions, rather than tariff rates. China’s Ministry of Commerce confirmed the
news of a finalized trade framework with the US on 27th June, with China to review
and approve eligible exports application of controlled-items and US to
correspondingly cancel a series of restrictive measures on China. We are aware of
the mild strengthening of CNY recently, but it was mainly driven by external factors
and with minimal pricing-in of the domestic stress ahead, in our view. The PBoC’s
lower USD/CNY fixing recently is likely reflective of the weaker US dollar trend, not
shifting of preference for a stronger CNY. A potential PBoC rate cut and weaker
exports in Q3 and H2 due to dissipating front-running exports are set to weigh more
on the CNY.
Weak fundamentals and loose liquidity The 10-year CGB yield edged lower by 6bps to 1.65% in June. We expect it to
conditions favours a further (mild) remain low in Q3 and possibly edge lower. Current real interest rates are at elevated
decline in the China 10-year CGB yield levels due to deflation. Elevated real interest rates are not conducive to the release of
consumer demand too. This deflationary environment and a challenging growth
prospect require the PBoC to deliver more rate cuts, to reduce the real cost of
funding in the economy. We expect the PBoC to further cut the 7-day reverse repo
rate by 20bps in Q3 and Q4 respectively, and to further cut reserve the requirement
ratio in the second half of the year. Historical experiences indicate that fundamentals
are the core factor that determines bond performance. Looking forward, weak overall
economic fundamentals (decelerating economic growth in H2) and overall loose
liquidity conditions to jointly support a the bond market. Additionally, as global
geopolitical risks and the risk between US and China remain high, these would imply
that risk-free assets are still the favoured assets. China’s bond yields will likely trend
down in Q3. China’s 10-year Treasury bond yield may fall to 1.55% or even lower
temporarily.
Current USD/CNY level is not fully USD/CNY PAIR IS TRACKING A LOWER DXY INDEX LATELY
pricing risk of slowdown for China’s
economy going forward
Rate cuts would help support the FURTHER RATE CUTS WOULD BRING 10-YEAR CGB YIELD LOWER
housing sector as well, with a lower
mortgage rate
Spot close
Q3 2025 Q4 2025 Q1 2026 Q2 2026
30.06.25
AUD/USD 0.6557 0.6500 0.6600 0.6700 0.6800
AUD/JPY 94.618 92.300 92.400 92.460 92.480
EUR/AUD 1.7914 1.8150 1.8180 1.8210 1.8090
Consensus Consensus Consensus Consensus
AUD/USD 0.6500 0.6700 0.6700 0.6800
MARKET UPDATE
AUD advances further In June the Australian dollar strengthened further against the US dollar in terms of
London closing rates from 0.6434 to 0.6557. The RBA did not meet in June and
hence the key policy rate remained at 3.85%, following the 25bp cut in May, the
second cut this year after 425bps of hikes between May 2022 and November 2023.
OUTLOOK
AUD to grind higher The Australian dollar was steadily advancing in June before the conflict between
Israel and Iran prompted a reversal lower. With that risk receding, the Australian
dollar has managed to recoup some of those losses which leaves AUD/USD at levels
beyond our expectations (our previous year-end forecast was 0.6500). As a result,
we have revised modestly higher our forecast levels. There are numerous risks
ahead however that argue for only a modest revision higher to our forecasts. Firstly,
while Middle East risks may be receding, there remains the crucial trade risk with the
expiry of the suspended reciprocal tariff on 9 th July approaching. Trade risks are set
to become the focus once again. A widespread implementation of the tariffs would
undermine confidence in global growth and that would see AUD underperform many
other G10 currencies. AUD now appears priced for good news and limited reciprocal
tariffs being implemented. Hence, upside for AUD on good news will be limited with a
bigger downside risk on more aggressive tariff action. Secondly, the RBA is showing
some signs of turning more dovish. A 50bp rate cut was discussed at the May policy
meeting with the minutes revealing the view of the RBA that it’s well positioned to
respond to global risks if required. Three rate cuts are fully priced by year-end which
is more than most other G10 central banks that could lend to underperformance. Iron
ore prices fell to the lowest level since September last year and the IEA published a
bearish outlook for energy markets which could undermine AUD performance ahead.
RBA rate cut expectations have AUD/NZD VS. SHORT-TERM YIELD SPREAD
undermined AUD
Spot close
Q3 2025 Q4 2025 Q1 2026 Q2 2026
30.06.25
NZD/USD 0.6077 0.6000 0.6100 0.6200 0.6300
NZD/JPY 87.691 85.200 85.400 85.560 85.680
AUD/NZD 1.0790 1.0830 1.0820 1.0810 1.0790
Consensus Consensus Consensus Consensus
NZD/USD 0.6000 0.6200 0.6200 0.6200
MARKET UPDATE
NZD strengthens In June the New Zealand dollar strengthened against the US dollar in terms of
London closing rates from 0.5971 to 0.6077. However, the New Zealand dollar
weakened marginally against the Australian dollar, from 1.0775 to 1.0790. The RBNZ
did not meet in June and hence the key policy rate remained at 3.25%, following
cumulative easing to 225bps since August last year.
OUTLOOK
NZD to advance slowly further The New Zealand dollar had been grinding higher in June but then reversed course
due to the conflict in the Middle East that disrupted that move briefly before resuming.
Prior to the Middle East disruption, NZD had traded at levels not seen since October
last year. There are certainly signs that the New Zealand economy is recovering after
the recession in Q2 and Q3 last year. In the two quarters since, GDP has expanded
by 0.5% and 0.8% Q/Q. The Q1 GDP gain of 0.8% was the strongest since Q2 2023.
That said, the RBNZ is likely not yet finished with monetary easing and after the GDP
rebound, the economy likely slowed in Q2, no doubt in part due to increased global
uncertainties related to trade. ANZ Business Confidence fell sharply in both April and
May reflecting trade uncertainties. The forward rates market is priced for one further
cut and partially one additional cut and the implied trough in the policy rate of around
2.90% is close the RBNZ projection of 2.85%. NZD volatility is more likely to come
from developments abroad especially given the reciprocal tariffs are scheduled to
become active again from 9th July. Market participants appear somewhat complacent
to the risk of a hit to global growth expectations with many assuming Trump will back
down again (TACO!). That leaves NZD vulnerable to trade-related turmoil in July and
August. We have raised our NZD/USD forecasts (Q4 was 0.6000) but maintain a
cautious profile given these external risks.
Spot close
Q3 2025 Q4 2025 Q1 2026 Q2 2026
30.06.25
USD/CAD 1.3634 1.3600 1.3500 1.3300 1.3200
CAD/JPY 105.84 104.40 103.70 103.80 103.00
EUR/CAD 1.6014 1.6050 1.6200 1.6230 1.6240
Consensus Consensus Consensus Consensus
USD/CAD 1.3700 1.3600 1.3500 1.3400
MARKET UPDATE
CAD gains modestly In June the Canadian dollar strengthened further against the US dollar in terms of
London closing rates from 1.3744 to 1.3634. The Bank of Canada, at its meeting in
June, left the key policy rate unchanged at 2.75%, the level reached after seven cuts
at consecutive meetings to March totalling 225bps.
OUTLOOK
CAD underperformance The Canadian dollar ended June stronger but was the third worst performing G10
currency in June after the dollar and yen underlining its tendency to underperform in
G10 when the dollar performs poorly. CAD had been stronger in line with the sharp
move higher in crude oil but the ceasefire between Israel and Iran prompted a 15%
drop in crude oil that saw USD/CAD rebound. Assuming the ceasefire holds, the
global oil backdrop is bearish as was highlighted by the IEA in its monthly report that
concluded changes in supply (higher) and global demand (lower) meant the global oil
market would remain “well supplied”. Risks are skewed to the downside for the price
of crude oil. Rate cut expectations are now much less in Canada than in the US and
we certainly expect the Fed to be more active than currently priced which will help
pressure USD/CAD to the downside. However, a weakening dollar that becomes
more driven by slowing US growth will likely see CAD underperform other G10
currencies. The Canadian economy is weakening relative to 2024 growth (1.0%
expected versus 1.6% in 2024) and growth in 2026 is expected to be around the 1.0%
level again. But the BoC has already acted and additional cuts will be modest given
underlying inflation looks sticky. Core CPI measures (median; trimmed) were both
3.0% YoY in June. PM Mark Carney has stated that Canada is in “intensive
negotiations” which could result in some improved US trade tariff conditions. Still,
Canada’s links to the US will mean CAD underperformance vs G10 FX.
CAD strength vs. USD hides PERFORMANCE OF CAD VS. OTHER G10 FX XBOC NUM
underperformance vs. Other G10 FX
Spot close
Q3 2025 Q4 2025 Q1 2026 Q2 2026
30.06.25
EUR/NOK 11.883 11.800 11.800 11.700 11.600
USD/NOK 10.117 10.000 9.8330 9.5900 9.4310
NOK/JPY 14.263 14.200 14.240 14.390 14.420
Consensus Consensus Consensus Consensus
EUR/NOK 11.500 11.410 11.350 11.120
MARKET UPDATE
Modestly weaker In June the krone weakened modestly against the euro in terms of London closing
rates from 11.590 to 11.883. The Norges Bank lowered the policy rate by 0.25
percentage point to 4.25%. It was the first rate cut in the easing cycle.
OUTLOOK
Norges Bank easing & Middle East The krone has weakened against the euro in June lifting EUR/NOK back up above
flare up dampens krone upside the 200-day moving average that comes in around 11.700. The renewed sell-off for
the krone was triggered by the Norges Bank’s surprise decision to start their rate cut
cycle sooner than expected. After leaving rates on hold since late in 2023, the
Norges Bank started to cut rates in June in response to the recent run of softer core
inflation readings in Norway. The annual rate of underlying inflation has slowed to
2.8% in May down from a recent high of 3.4% in March. The Norges Bank judges
that a cautious normalization of the policy rate will pave the way for inflation to return
to target without restricting the economy more than necessary. The updated
projections from the June MPR revealed that the Norges Bank is planning to cut
rates by a further 25-50bps by the end of this year. There is room for further rate
cuts with the policy rate still well above the Norges Bank’s estimate of the neutral
range between 2.25% and 3.50%. At the same time, the krone has been undermined
by the recent deterioration in investor risk sentiment triggered by the military conflict
between Israel and Iran involving the US. The krone weakened initially even as the
price of oil jumped by just over 20% although the higher price of oil proved to be
short-lived. The IEA announced recently that it expects a supply surplus of around
600k barrels/day this year which should help to keep oil prices at lower levels and
remain a drag on the krone. Economic uncertainty and trade tensions have
weakened demand while supply is lifted by the unwind of OPEC+ production cuts.
Spot close
Q3 2025 Q4 2025 Q1 2026 Q2 2026
30.06.25
EUR/SEK 11.162 11.200 11.100 11.000 10.900
USD/SEK 9.5024 9.4920 9.2500 9.0160 8.8620
SEK/JPY 15.186 14.960 15.140 15.310 15.350
Consensus Consensus Consensus Consensus
EUR/SEK 10.900 10.880 10.810 10.700
MARKET UPDATE
Modestly weaker In June the krona weakened modestly against the euro in terms of London closing
rates from 10.882 to 11.162. The Riksbank lowered the repo rate by 0.25 percentage
point to 2.00%.
OUTLOOK
Domestic slowdown adds to downside The krona weakened against the euro in June lifting EUR/SEK back up towards
risks for SEK resistance from the 200-day moving average at around the 11.200-level. The krona
has been undermined both by the flare up in geopoltiical tensions in the Middle East
and the Riksbank’s decision to resume rate cuts after temporarily pausing their
easing cyle earlier this year. After leaving their policy rate unchanged at 2.25% in
March and May, the Riksbank cut rates by a further 25bps in June and sigalled that
they are likely to deliver another 25bps rate cut by the end of this year. The
Riskbank’s decision to resume rate cuts reflects conern over the recent loss of
growth momentum in Sweden. The Riksbank described the Swedish economy as
“weak” and acknowledged that the recovery is proceeding more slowly than expected.
Substantial uncertainty is also expected to continue to dampen the recovery in the
near-term. The weaker growth outlook was evident in the updated GDP forecast for
this year which was lowered by 0.7 point to 1.2%. The slower growth outlook has
given the Riksbank more confidence that core inflation will move further below target
to 1.7% in 2026. Sweden’s economy has been negatively impacted from heightened
uncertainty related to global trade policy and geopolitical tensions in the Middle East.
The ceasefire agreement to end the conflict between Israel and Iran helps to dampen
downside risks for the krona. The next key uncertainty for trade policy is the end of
President Trump’s 90-day delay for higher “reciprocal tariffs” on 9 th July. The EU and
US are currently working together to reach a trade deal to avoid the higher tariffs.
Real GDP growth falls on the back of SWEDEN REAL GDP GROWTH
middle east tentions
Spot close
Q3 2025 Q4 2025 Q1 2026 Q2 2026
30.06.25
EUR/CHF 0.9342 0.9400 0.9500 0.9550 0.9600
USD/CHF 0.7953 0.7970 0.7920 0.7830 0.7800
CHF/JPY 181.44 178.30 176.80 176.30 174.30
Consensus Consensus Consensus Consensus
EUR/CHF 0.9400 0.9500 0.9500 0.9600
MARKET UPDATE
CHF weakens modestly In June the Swiss franc, weakened modestly versus the euro in terms of London
closing rates from 0.9332 to 0.9342. The SNB, at its meeting in June, cut the key
policy rate by 25bps to 0.00%, taking cumulative easing to 175bps.
OUTLOOK
No reason for CHF reversal weaker The Swiss franc once again ended close to unchanged versus EUR in June despite
some notable developments. This relatively tight trading range is to a degree a
function of the better EUR performance of late. Versus the US dollar, the franc in
June hit the strongest level since the SNB removed the EUR/CHF floor in January
2015. So the safe-haven status of the Swiss franc remains evident and in that
context we expect upward pressure on the franc to persist. As we have noted here
before, we continue to see a danger of the SNB falling behind the curve in easing its
monetary stance. Inflation has consistently fallen faster than the SNB expected and if
this continues, the policy rate in real terms will remain too high to trigger a turnaround
in franc appreciation. At the March 2024 meeting the SNB forecast inflation in 2025
at 1.2%. In June 2024 the forecast was 1.1%. In the latest update in June the
forecast is now just 0.2%. In a global economy with inflation risks high and inflation
expectations less anchored, Switzerland can be viewed as a haven from inflation
risks as well. SNB President Schlegel stated after the decision to cut that there was
“big unwanted side-effects” of implementing negative rates again indicating a “bigger
threshold” to another rate cut. That could be a dangerous message and in another
risk-off scenario could fuel additional demand for the franc. If reciprocal tariffs are
implemented as already announced, global growth expectations will fall and fuel
franc buying. If as is more likely, there’s a watering down or another delay, further
upside for the franc will be more contained.
Spot close
Q3 2025 Q4 2025 Q1 2026 Q2 2026
30.06.25
EUR/CZK 24.716 24.500 24.300 24.200 24.000
USD/CZK 21.042 20.760 20.250 19.840 19.510
CZK/JPY 6.8577 6.8390 6.9140 6.9570 6.9700
Consensus Consensus Consensus Consensus
EUR/CZK 24.950 24.800 24.800 24.800
MARKET UPDATE
Modestly stronger In June the Czech koruna strengthened modestly against the euro in terms of
London closing rates from 24.933 to 24.716. The Czech National Bank (CNB) held
the two-week repurchase at 3.50%.
OUTLOOK
CNB caution over further rate cuts The koruna has continued to strengthen gradually against the euro resulting in
encouraging stronger CZK EUR/CZK hitting a fresh year-to-date low of 24.701. The upward trend for the koruna
has been in place for most of the 1H of this year with only a temporary reversal lower
triggered by President Trump’s “reciprocal tariffs” announcement in early April. The
90-day delay for the higher “reciprocal tariffs” comes to an end on 9 th July. The EU is
currently negotiating with the US to reach a trade deal to avoid the higher tariffs
being put in place. We are assuming that the higher tariffs on the EU will be delayed
further, but if we are wrong and the US implements a 20% or 50% tariff on imports
from the EU it would encoruge a weaker koruna. The gradual strengthening trend for
the koruna was reinforced in June by the release of stronger inflation data from the
Czech Republic. The annual rate of headline inflation picked up to 2.4% in May
reversing most of the drop recorded in April when it fell to a low of 1.8%. Governor
Michl stated recently that “we don’t have an agreement for now whether this was the
last cut or not. What we do agree on is that the room for lowering rates further is
limited and that further cuts are preconditioned by a decline in inflationary risks in the
domestic economy”. In light of recent stronger inflation data the CNB may decide to
leave rates on hold for “sometime”. At the same time, we still expect two more rate
cuts from the ECB over the next six to twelve months. The other development over
the past month has been the flare up in geopolitical tensions in the Middle East but
the negative spillover impact for the koruna was limited.
Spot close
Q3 2025 Q4 2025 Q1 2026 Q2 2026
30.06.25
EUR/HUF 399.56 396.00 400.00 404.00 408.00
USD/HUF 340.17 335.60 333.30 331.10 331.70
HUF/JPY 0.4242 0.4230 0.4200 0.4170 0.4100
Consensus Consensus Consensus Consensus
EUR/HUF 410.00 413.50 415.00 418.00
MARKET UPDATE
Modestly stronger In June the Hungarian forint strengthened modestly against the euro in terms of
London closing rates moving from 403.95 to 399.56. The National Bank of Hungary
(NBH) held the base rate at 6.50%.
OUTLOOK
Domestic political & Middle East risks The performance of the forint was mixed in June. In the first half of the month the
are headwinds for forint forint strengthened resulting in EUR/HUF testing support at the 400.00-level. The
forint was supported by favourable conditions for carry trades. The higher yields on
offer in Hungary remain attractive and financial market volatility was falling at the
start of the month reflecting less concern amongst global investors over the negative
impact on global growth from protectionist trade policies. The NBH remains reluctant
to cut rates further to support growth given conerns that it would weaken the forint
and add to upside inflation risks. Headline inflation in Hungary picked up to 4.4% in
May moving back above the top of the NBH’s tolerance range between 2.0% and
4.0%. Higher inflation and weaker growth provide a less favourable macro
combination for the forint. Hungary’s economy unexpectedly contracted again albeit
marginally by -0.2% in Q1 and annual growth was flat. If weak growth continues and
the NBH remains reluctant to lower rates, it will increase pressure on the government
to loosen fiscal policy ahead of next year’s parliamentary elections in April as Prime
Minister Orban seeks to win re-election. The latest opinion polls show the opposition
centre-right Tisza Party extending its lead to an unprecedented 15 percentage points.
While a victory for the Tisza Party would be welcomed as a positive catalyst for the
forint, it could act as a negative for the forint in the interim by reinforcing pressure on
the government to provide bigger stimulus to win back votes. S&P recently placed
Hungary’s credit rating on “negative watch” moving it closer to a downgrade to junk.
Spot close
Q3 2025 Q4 2025 Q1 2026 Q2 2026
30.06.25
EUR/PLN 4.2420 4.2000 4.2400 4.2600 4.2800
USD/PLN 3.6114 3.5590 3.5330 3.4920 3.4800
PLN/JPY 39.957 39.900 39.620 39.520 39.080
Consensus Consensus Consensus Consensus
EUR/PLN 4.2500 4.2600 4.2700 4.3000
MARKET UPDATE
Marginally weaker In June the Polish zloty weakened marginally against the euro in terms of London
closing rates from 4.2496 to 4.2420. The National Bank of Poland (NBP) held the
seven-day reference at 5.25%.
OUTLOOK
NBP caution over further easing The zloty weakened intially at the start of June driven by the unfavourable outcome
provides support for PLN from the Presidential election in Poland that lifted EUR/PLN back up towards the
4.3000-level. It followed the election victory for Karol Nawrocki who ran as an
independent but was backed by the Law and Justice party. As a result the opposition
party unexpectedly maintained the power of presidential veto which requires a three-
fifths majority. The government does not have enough seats on their own to override
thereby curtailing the government’s ability to push through their policy agenda.
However, the government did survive a vote of confidence by 243 votes to 210. The
zloty has since rebounded modestly resulting in EUR/PLN falling back below the
4.2500-level supported by the still wide yield differential between Poland and the
euro-zone, and the ongoing economic outperformance of Poland. Governor Glapinksi
made another policy pivot after the latest MPC meeting in early June when he
abandoned rhetoric about potential further monetary easing this year. Instead he
emphasized that uncertainty over energy costs, an uptick in growth dynamics and
loose fiscal policy made it impossible to give any guidance on future rate levels.
However, he did add that some MPC members were thinking about July for the next
rate cut depending on the NBP’s updated economic projections, and others preferred
to wait until autumn to wait for further details on the government’s budget. There has
been some speculation that the government could run looser fiscal policy after losing
the presidential election discouraging the NBP from cutting rates.
Spot close
Q3 2025 Q4 2025 Q1 2026 Q2 2026
30.06.25
EUR/RON 5.0747 5.0700 5.0900 5.1200 5.1400
USD/RON 4.3204 4.2970 4.2420 4.1970 4.1790
RON/JPY 33.400 33.050 33.010 32.880 32.540
Consensus Consensus Consensus Consensus
EUR/RON 5.0800 5.1000 5.1200 5.1500
MARKET UPDATE
Marginally weaker In June, the Romanian leu weakened marginally against the euro in terms of London
closing rates moving from 5.0580 to 5.0747. The NBR maintained the policy rate at
6.50%.
OUTLOOK
Pace of leu depreciation to slow as The leu has been consolidating at lower levels against the euro in June following on
domestic political risks ease from the two prior months of much higher volatility. The leu initially weakened sharply
after the decisive victory for George Simion who was the leader of the far-right AUR
party in the first round of the Presidential election on 4 th May. It triggered a loss of
confidence in the Romanian bond and equity markets. However, the bulk of the sell-
off has since been reversed after the centrist mayor of Bucharest Nicusor Dan
emerged victorious in the Presidential run-off against George Simion on 18th May. A
broad pro-European coalition government has been formally agreed and approved
including the National Liberal Party (PNL), Social Democratic Party (PSD), Save
Romania Union (USR) and Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania (UDMR).
The government is led by Prime Minister Bolojan who has a solid majority in
parliament. The new government will seek to reduce the size of the budget deficit
which exceeds 9% of GDP, implement tax system reform, restructure state-owned
enterprises, modernize the public sector and restructure the special pensions system.
The plans involve cutting the budget deficit by RON30 billion this year which will be
mostly implemented from 1st August. NBR Governor Isarescu has stated that
policymakers will weigh up cutting rates further only after a return of market and
political stability, and once interbank rates fall below the key policy rate at 6.50%.
Headline inflation picked up to 5.5% in May putting a dampener on NBR rate cut
expectations. Going forward we expect the leu to weaken further but more gradually.
Widening budget deficits persist as BUDGET BALANCE VS. CURRENT ACCOUNT BALANCE % OF GDP
headwind for leu
Spot close
Q3 2025 Q4 2025 Q1 2026 Q2 2026
30.06.25
USD/RUB 78.130 78.630 79.820 80.980 83.370
EUR/RUB 91.771 92.780 95.780 98.800 102.50
RUB/JPY 1.8469 1.8060 1.7540 1.7040 1.6310
Consensus Consensus Consensus Consensus
USD/RUB 83.210 92.000 91.620 96.240
MARKET UPDATE
Modestly weaker In June the Russian rouble weakened modestly against the US dollar in terms of
London closing rates from 77.393 to 78.130. The Central Bank of the Russian
Federation (CBR) lowered the key policy rate by 1.00 percentage point to 20.00%.
OUTLOOK
Risk of further sanctions if ceasefire The rouble has been consolidating at higher levels in June following strong gains in
deal is not agreed poses main the first five months of this year when USD/RUB fell from a peak of 115.071 at the
downside risk for rouble end of last year. Head of the CBR’s monetary policy department Andrei Gangan
stated that the recent sharp strengthening of the rouble is to a significant degree due
to tight monetary policy. He added that the current strengthening of the rouble is
contributing to additional disinflationary impulse. At their latest policy meeting in early
June, the CBR decided to lower the policy rate by 100bps for the first time since
September 2022. The CBR decided to cut rates in response to “current inflationary
pressure, including underlying inflation, continues to decrease” with “the majority of
core inflation indicators within the range between 5.5% to 7.5%”. However, the CBR
refrained from providing clear guidance on the path for rates suggesting another cut
as soon as at the next policy meeting on 25th July is not a done deal. Governor
Nabiullina expressed caution over their “approach to more rate cuts” which “may
need pauses between steps”. Economy Minister Reshetnikov had been calling for
easing in the run up to the CBR’s policy meeting to provide more support for growth.
The government has become increasingly concerned over the risk of a downturn for
Russia’s economy. At the same time, President Trump’s two week deadline to reach
a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine has come and gone. The longer it takes to
reach a ceasefire agreement, the higher the risk that President Trump could impose
tighter sanctions on Russia posing downside risks for the rouble.
CBR lowers policy rate for the first time CBR KEY POLICY RATE VS. HEADLINE CPI YOY, %
since 2022
Spot close
Q3 2025 Q4 2025 Q1 2026 Q2 2026
30.06.25
USD/ZAR 17.747 17.500 17.250 17.000 17.000
ZAR/JPY 8.1311 8.1140 8.1160 8.1180 8.0000
EUR/ZAR 20.845 20.650 20.700 20.740 20.910
Consensus Consensus Consensus Consensus
USD/ZAR 17.880 17.790 17.600 17.500
MARKET UPDATE
Stronger In June the South African rand strengthened against the US dollar in terms of London
closing rates from 18.030 to 17.747. The SARB maintained the key policy rate at
7.25%.
OUTLOOK
Middle East risks temporarily disrupt The performance of the rand has been mixed in June driven mainly by external
strengthening trend for ZAR developments in the Middle East. The military conflict between Israel and Iran initially
triggered a sell-off for high beta emerging market currencies such as the rand helping
to lift USD/ZAR up to a high of 18.163 on 23rd June just after the US launched missile
strikes on Iran’s nuclear facitlities. However, the sell-off proved short-lived as it
quickly prompted Israel and Iran to reach a ceasefire agreement. The rand has since
rebounded reversing all of the losses sustained while the conflict was taking place.
USD/ZAR has fallen to a fresh year-to-date low of 17.578 recorded on 26th June. The
rand has benefitted from the strong improvement in global investor risk sentiment
over last couple of months encouraged by President Trump’s decision to delay
implementing higher “reciprocal tariffs” for 90 days. Market participants will be
watching closely to see if more trade deals are reached in the coming days ahead of
the first deadline on 9th July to avoid higher tariffs, and/or the 90-day delay is
extended to allow for more time to negotiate. A more disruptive tariff outcome poses
downside risks for high beta currencies such as the rand. In contrast, domestic
developments have had less impact on the rand. The SARB has stepped up its
public support for lowering the inflation goal from between 3.0% and 6.0% with
headline inflation currently running below target at 2.8% in May. It comes at a time
when the SARB and Treasury are nearing completion of a long-running review of the
inflation goal which hasn’t been changed since it was launched in 2000.
Spot close
Q3 2025 Q4 2025 Q1 2026 Q2 2026
30.06.25
USD/TRY 39.808 42.000 43.750 45.500 47.000
EUR/TRY 46.759 49.560 52.500 55.510 57.810
TRY/JPY 3.6249 3.3810 3.2000 3.0330 2.8940
Consensus Consensus Consensus Consensus
USD/TRY 41.250 43.000 44.400 45.370
MARKET UPDATE
Weaker In June the Turkish lira weakened against the US dollar in terms of London closing
rates from 39.235 to 39.808. The Central Bank of Turkey (CBRT) held the one-week
repo rate 46.00%.
OUTLOOK
Middle East tensions temporarily add The lira has continued to weaken in June lifting USD/TRY closer to the 40.000-level.
to downside risks for lira The lira has been weakening against the US dollar over the last couple of months at
an annualized rate of just over 20% following the abrupt sell-off in March in response
to negative domestic political developments when Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu
was imprisoned. According to Bloomberg, the CBRT had to drain close to USD57
billion from its foreign exchange reserves to support the lira and prevent an even
sharper sell-off. However, there has been encouraging evidence that Turkey has
been rebuilding FX reserves in the run up to the recent flair up of geopolitical risks in
the Middle East as capital outflows eased. So long as the pick-up in geopolitical risks
in the Middle East proves to be short-lived, downward pressure on the lira from
capital outlook should ease. Market participants will remain wary of any further
negative domestic political developments in Turkey. The CBRT had tightened policy
to dampen upside risks to inflation from the weaker lira, and so far pass-through to
higher inflation has been relatvely limited. The annual rate of headline inflation has
continued to slow, falling to 35.4% in May compared to 75.5% a year ago. The
current Bloomberg consensus forecast is for inflation to fall back below 30% by year
end. We expect the CBRT to begin lowering rates in respone to slowing inflation in
July. The weighted averge cost of CBRT funding has already fallen by 300bps as
funding was expanded to above TRY200 billion from 11 th June from TRY5 billion. In
light of these developments we expect the lira to weaken further but at a slower pace.
Core and headline inflation continue to HEADLINE CPI VS. CORE CPI YOY, %
slow despite weaker TRY
Spot close
Q3 2025 Q4 2025 Q1 2026 Q2 2026
30.06.25
USD/INR 85.760 85.000 84.500 84.000 84.000
INR/JPY 1.6826 1.6710 1.6570 1.6430 1.6190
EUR/INR 100.73 100.30 101.40 102.50 103.30
Consensus Consensus Consensus Consensus
USD/INR 85.850 85.800 86.000 86.000
MARKET UPDATE
INR was weaker against the US dollar In June, the Indian rupee weakened against the US dollar to 85.490 from 85.760.
in June The Reserve Bank of India cut its key repo rate by 50bps to 5.50% at its June
meeting, announced a 100bps cut to the Cash Reserve Ratio, but also changed its
policy stance to neutral indicating a more data dependent stance.
OUTLOOK
We continue to forecast USD/INR to We mark-to-market our USD/INR forecast, and now see USD/INR at 84.000 by Q1
move lower with supportive domestic 2026, from 83.500 previously. More importantly, the forward-looking drivers we
factors and a possible trade deal with highlighted previously remain largely unchanged. Stronger growth and manageable
US, with the implicit assumption of a inflation should encourage more capital inflows. Meanwhile, we continue to assume
status quo in geopolitical conflicts that the US and India will reach a trade deal, even if skeletal at first, which should
help bring some certainty to tariff rates and attract additional manufacturing activity.
In addition, our global team’s forecast for further dollar weakness provides a decent
backdrop for USD/INR to fall. Beyond the external factors which are to some extent
uncontrollable, what’s positive for India is the softer than expected inflation profile.
On the inflation front, the progress of India’s Southwest Monsoon and Kharif crop has
been quite good so far, with rainfall 8% above long-term averages and overall Kharif
crop sowing areas 10% above last year’s. Beyond averages, the distribution of rain
has also been improving across key agriculture producing states, with the exception
of some rice-producing areas. If these positive monsoon trends continue, India’s
growth should improve further and inflation should remain moderate, lending support
to our forecast for INR to strengthen modestly and RBI to cut rates once more. What
has changed for India has been the multitude of geopolitical shocks. We implicitly
assume a status quo in these geopolitical conflicts, but suffice to say there remains
some residual left tail risks in this regard for INR.
The Southwest Monsoon for 2025 has BETTER RAINFALL BODES WELL FOR LOWER INFLATION / BETTER GROWTH XHE PROG
picked up through June after an earlier
than usual start in May
Spot close
Q3 2025 Q4 2025 Q1 2026 Q2 2026
30.06.25
USD/IDR 16234 15810 15650 15670 15700
IDR/JPY(100) 0.8889 0.8980 0.8950 0.8810 0.8660
EUR/IDR 19068 18660 18780 19120 19310
Consensus Consensus Consensus Consensus
USD/IDR 16300 16250 16100 16000
MARKET UPDATE
IDR gained against the USD in June. In June the Indonesian rupiah strengthened to 16,234 against the US dollar
compared to 16,320 in May. BI held the policy rate at 5.50% in June, in line with our
expectation.
OUTLOOK
We forecast IDR to extend its gains, We forecast USD/IDR to fall to 15,650 by end-2025, supported by easing US-China
supported by easing US-China trade trade tensions and progress in Indonesia-US trade talks. The US appears receptive
tensions, progress in trade talks with of Indonesia’s trade proposal, and we anticipate Indonesia will avoid the full 32%
US, attractive real yields, and foreign reciprocal tariff announced by Trump in April. Further USD downside, as anticipated
bond inflows. by our US team, will help support the rupiah and Indonesian government bonds. The
reduction in SRBI issuances will also help redirect foreign inflows into bonds. From a
macro standpoint, Indonesia’s inflation remains subdued, with headline inflation at
1.6%yoy in May and core inflation at 2.4%yoy, both below the midpoint of BI’s 1.5%-
3.5% target. This implies relatively high real yields supporting bond inflows. While we
expect BI to continue easing policy, the Fed is also likely to ease in H2, giving room
for BI to cut rates to support growth without destabilising the rupiah. We forecast one
25bps rate cut in Q3 and another cut in Q1 2026, as growth slows and the Fed
resumes easing in H2. Indeed, Indonesia’s GDP growth had moderated to 4.8%yoy
in Q1, and could slow further. The manufacturing PMI remained in contraction in May
and bank credit growth slowed to 8.4%yoy from 8.9%yoy in April, reflecting cautious
sentiment. BI trimmed its outlook for Indonesia’s 2025 GDP growth by 0.1ppt to
4.6%-5.4% in May, while expecting credit growth to slow to 8%-11%. Meanwhile,
Indonesia’s trade surplus rose to $11.1bn in the first 4 months of 2025, up from
$10.1bn a year earlier, providing another measure of support for the rupiah.
BI is likely able to cut rates without BI TO RESUME EASING CYCLE IN Q3, AS RUPIAH EXTENDS GAINS XINDONES
destabilising the rupiah
Spot close
Q3 2025 Q4 2025 Q1 2026 Q2 2026
30.06.25
USD/MYR 4.2060 4.1500 4.1100 4.0800 4.0600
MYR/JPY 34.308 34.220 34.060 33.820 33.500
EUR/MYR 4.9404 4.8970 4.9320 4.9780 4.9940
Consensus Consensus Consensus Consensus
USD/MYR 4.2500 4.2300 4.2100 4.1800
MARKET UPDATE
MYR strengthened against the USD in In June the ringgit strengthened to 4.2133 against the US dollar from 4.2530 in May.
June. BNM held its policy rate at 3.00% in May.
OUTLOOK
The MYR will be supported by solid We forecast USD/MYR to fall to 4.1100 by end-2025, driven by persistent US fiscal
macro fundamentals and improving and trade policy uncertainties. A key driver is the potential surge in US fiscal debt
foreign interests in local government stemming from President Trump’s proposed One Big Beautiful Bill, with Republicans
bonds. edging closer to passing it. Meanwhile, Malaysia’s trade talks with the US have
reportedly progressed well, and we expect the country to avoid the 24% reciprocal
tariffs announced by Trump in April. Export frontloading has supported growth, with
total exports rising 5.5%yoy in the first 5 months of this year. Exports to the US rose
by 33.6%yoy over the same period and shipments to EU were up by 5.3%yoy,
offsetting declines to China (-3.2%yoy) and Japan (-11.1%yoy). However, the trade
surplus narrowed to MYR46.9bn from MYR51.8bn last year due to faster import
growth of 6.9%yoy. The US-China tariff de-escalation, along with a lower USD/CNY
daily fixing rate, will help limit negative spillovers to the ringgit. Domestically,
Malaysia’s macro fundamentals remain solid. While real GDP growth slowed to
4.4%yoy in Q1 from 4.9% in Q4 2024, sequential growth was up by 0.7%qoq. The
economy is in a domestic-led investment upcycle. Foreign investor interest in local
government bonds also remains strong, with bid-to-cover ratios of 2.9x and 3.0x in
the two June MGS auctions, albeit slightly below the 3.3x seen in end-May. The
share of foreign holdings of government bonds rose to 22.4% of total in May.
Improving foreign interests in local A PICK-UP IN FOREIGN HOLDINGS OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT BONDS XMALAYSI
government bonds
Spot close
Q3 2025 Q4 2025 Q1 2026 Q2 2026
30.06.25
USD/PHP 56.310 56.000 55.500 55.000 55.500
PHP/JPY 2.5626 2.5360 2.5230 2.5090 2.4500
EUR/PHP 66.142 66.080 66.600 67.100 68.270
Consensus Consensus Consensus Consensus
USD/PHP 56.000 55.800 55.300 55.100
MARKET UPDATE
PHP was weaker against the USD in In June, the Philippine peso weakened against the US dollar moving to 56.310 from
June 55.730. The Philippines central bank cut its policy rate by 25bps to 5.25% at its last
meeting in June, and remained dovish even as it keeps an eye out for oil price risks.
OUTLOOK
We continue to forecast PHP to We mark to market our USD/PHP forecasts and now expect USD/PHP at 55.000 by
strengthen against the USD, reflecting Q1 2026 from 54.500 previously. The Israel-Iran conflict and the resultant oil price
low inflation, continued space for rate jump certainly led to a disproportionate negative impact on PHP, which is one of the
cuts, FDI improvement, a likely trade more vulnerable currencies in Asia to oil price spikes given its relatively large current
deal with the US, coupled with strong account deficit. More importantly, it’s also crucial to remind ourselves of the
infrastructure spending. We implicitly fundamentals before the oil price shock happened, and whether these drivers have
assume status quo in geopolitical risks changed for PHP. Our key message is that many of the positive factors we
mentioned previously have not changed outside of geopolitical risk premia, and as
such, we remain comfortable in our view for PHP to strengthen modestly against the
dollar. First, we forecast inflation in the Philippines to remain manageable, averaging
1.8% in 2025, driven by lower domestic rice prices, good global rice supplies,
coupled with lower upside risks to transport fares and electricity prices. Second, we
expect a trade deal between the US and the Philippines to be reached, and for
average tariffs on the Philippines to ultimately fall below the announced 17%
reciprocal level. The third factor why we remain positive on the Philippines is our
expectation for actual FDI to improve, reflecting the surge in FDI approvals that we
have already seen. Fourth, the pipeline of public and private infrastructure projects
remains strong. While the recent Senate Election results could result in greater
political noise and could slow the pace of reforms, we think it is unlikely to change the
trajectory of policy and hence the country’s growth for now.
We forecast another 50bps of rate cuts WE EXPECT BSP TO CUT RATES TO 4.75% IN 2025 XFDI APPR
by BSP in 2025, with inflation expected
to remain well within the central bank’s
inflation corridor this year, absent oil
price shocks
Spot close
Q3 2025 Q4 2025 Q1 2026 Q2 2026
30.06.25
USD/SGD 1.2733 1.2700 1.2600 1.2550 1.2500
SGD/JPY 113.33 111.80 111.10 110.00 108.80
SGD/MYR 3.3032 3.2680 3.2620 3.2510 3.2480
Consensus Consensus Consensus Consensus
USD/SGD 1.3000 1.2900 1.2900 1.2800
MARKET UPDATE
SGD gained in June against the US In June the Singapore dollar strengthened to 1.2746 against the US dollar from
dollar 1.2897 in May. MAS slightly reduced the S$NEER appreciatory slope in the April
quarterly meeting, given rising global trade uncertainty.
OUTLOOK
We expect USD/SGD to extend its We forecast a measured decline in USD/SGD to 1.2500 by Q2 2026, amid market
decline amid persistent US policy concerns about Fed independence and the US fiscal outlook. The de-escalation of
uncertainties. But the fall will likely be the US-China tariff war has helped to reduce the chance of a global and US
measured, as our S$NEER estimate is recession, while Singapore has engaged with the US to seek tariff concessions on
approaching the upper bound of the pharmaceutical exports to the US. But If Trump decides to raise tariffs sharply next
policy band. month, markets will likely still perceive it as negatively impacting the US economy
more, hurting the US dollar. We also note that our estimate of the S$NEER is nearing
the upper bound of the MAS exchange rate policy band. This implies that SGD
outperformance relative to its trade-weighted basket of currencies may be limited,
implying at best modest declines in USDSGD. From a macroeconomic standpoint,
Singapore’s CPI inflation remains subdued, supported by softer commodity prices.
Headline CPI inflation was 0.8%yoy in May, while core inflation was just 0.6%yoy.
So, the MAS may further ease policy in July. Any signs of weakness in exports and
industrial production will also help to temper the pace of SGD gains. Singapore’s
export performance weakened in May. Domestic exports fell 8%mom in May,
reversing the 2.4%mom rise in April. This was primarily driven by a sharp 12%mom
drop in non-oil domestic exports, which had increased by 10.4% rise in April. Notably,
Singapore’s re-exports fell sharply by 19.6%mom in May following a 36.6% jump in
April, possibly a sign that earlier the frontloading of exports is tapering off.
SGD outperformance could be S$NEER ESTIMATES ARE NEAR THE UPPER BOUND OF POLICY BAND XMAS TO
capped.
Spot close
Q3 2025 Q4 2025 Q1 2026 Q2 2026
30.06.25
USD/KRW 1353.7 1370.0 1380.0 1375.0 1365.0
JPY/KRW 9.3809 9.6500 9.8600 9.9600 10.040
EUR/KRW 1590.0 1617.0 1656.0 1678.0 1679.0
Consensus Consensus Consensus Consensus
USD/KRW 1380.00 1370.00 1360.00 1340.00
MARKET UPDATE
KRW gained on the improved In June, USD/KRW moved from 1379.4 to 1353.7. On 29th May, the BoK lowered the
sentiment following President Lee’s policy rate by 25bps to 2.50%. On 24th June, BoK Senior Deputy Governor Ryoo said
victory and a weaker US dollar that 2.50% is “around the middle” of the BoK’s estimate of the neutral rate.
OUTLOOK
Additional increase tariffs up from Lee Jae-myung’s victory in the presidential election on 3rd June has brought optimism
current blanket 10% and weaker on Korea’s assets given his ambitions to improve corporate governance and boost
exports would pressure KRW lower the stock market performance with a target level of 5,000 for the KOSPI index. The
optimism has brought a strong foreign equity and bond net monthly inflow of USD
15.6bn in June - the strongest in recent years. Consumer sentiment also turned
positive with the index improving further by 6.9ppts to 108.7 in June, fully recovered
from the drag by the political turmoil back then. The new administration had also
proposed a 2nd supplementary budget worth KRW 30.5trn (1.2% of GDP), with KRW
20.2trn for consumer expenditures and KRW 10.3trn for tax revenue shortfall. Key
spending includes the KRW 10.3trn income-based consumption voucher program to
stimulate domestic demand, KRW 2.7trn injection into the construction sector. That
said, while we expect the Korean economy to re-accelerate in H2 from a
contractionary performance seen in Q1 and still weak growth in Q2, overall growth
will remain constrained due to weaker external demand as both growths of US and
China economies are to decline in 2H. Korea’s exports growth turned negative in
May at -1.3%yoy from April’s 3.5%yoy. Negative tariffs impact likely becomes more
visible on Korean exports, particularly as we expect a further increase of tariffs on
Korea due to its large trade surplus with the US and potentially additional sectoral
tariffs. We expect the final tariff imposed by the US to fall in the range of 10%-20%.
Mild rebound of semi-led ICT exports KOREA’S EXPORTS GROWTH TURNED NEGATIVE AT -1.3%YOY IN MAY BOK HELD
growth seen in recent months
Spot close
Q3 2025 Q4 2025 Q1 2026 Q2 2026
30.06.25
USD/TWD 29.222 29.800 29.800 29.650 29.500
TWD/JPY 4.9381 4.7650 4.6980 4.6540 4.6100
EUR/TWD 34.324 35.160 35.760 36.170 36.290
Consensus Consensus Consensus Consensus
USD/TWD 30.000 29.700 29.300 29.000
MARKET UPDATE
TWD’s depreciation on the last trading In June, USD/TWD moved from 29.866 to 29.222. On 19th June, the CBC maintained
day of June fuelled speculation that the policy rate at 2.00%. For now, the CBC thinks the condition for a rate cut is not
CBC might have intervened here yet, which is a worsening economy, together with a significant inflation
slowdown.
OUTLOOK
Challenges faced by lifers and a Beyond another stellar performance of Taiwan’s exports (38.6%yoy growth for May),
growth deceleration of the Taiwanese we observed a strengthening TWD in most of June, thanks to a combination of
economy would imply a slight TWD factors including exporters’ conversion needs ahead of dividend payouts in July (e.g.,
depreciation against the dollar in Q3 10th July for TSMC), strong foreign equity net inflows due to renewed optimism
around tech, and a weaker US dollar. Even during the Israel-Iran conflict, TWD was
largely unaffected by the risk-off sentiment and still posted a mild 0.4% gain against
the US dollar, whereas other Asian currencies depreciated. However, the rapid TWD
appreciation is negative for Taiwan’s lifers. Reports state that TWD’s strengthening
since late April has resulted in Taiwanese lifers posting a FX loss of USD 9.1bn for
the period of Jan-May, a much larger loss than the USD 4.0bn for the Jan-Apr period.
A deteriorating outlook of Taiwan’s lifers caused by a stronger TWD is not favourable
and may pose a systemic risk to the insurance sector and even the overall financial
market. Given that hedging costs for lifers are exceptionally high, we have been
holding the view that it is necessary for the CBC to strengthen its efforts to slow the
pace of TWD’s appreciation, in addition to already allowing lifers more flexibility in
using reserves to cushion against FX losses. Market suspects that the CBC was
behind the sudden 2% depreciation of TWD during Monday’s late trading session.
We continue to hold a depreciation bias on TWD against the dollar in Q3. We expect
a moderate increase in the final deal of US tariffs on imports from Taiwan.
Shipment front-loading to US fuelled TECH DEMAND IS THE MAIN DRIVER OF TAIWAN’S EXPORTS GROWTH XTAIWAN
tech exports growth in recent months
Spot close
Q3 2025 Q4 2025 Q1 2026 Q2 2026
30.06.25
USD/THB 32.474 32.800 32.500 32.400 32.300
THB/JPY 4.4436 4.3290 4.3080 4.2590 4.2110
EUR/THB 38.144 38.700 39.000 39.530 39.730
Consensus Consensus Consensus Consensus
USD/THB 32.800 33.000 32.800 32.500
MARKET UPDATE
THB strengthened against the US In June the Thai baht strengthened to 32.474 against the US dollar from 32.807 in
dollar in June. May. The Bank of Thailand held its policy rate at 1.75% in June to preserve policy
space.
OUTLOOK
We forecast USD/THB to remain We forecast USD/THB to remain relatively stable at 32.500 by end-2025, though
relatively stable by end-2025. But risks risks are tilted to the upside the pair. The de-escalation of the US-China tariff war has
are tilted to the upside, as political reduced the chance of a global and US recession this year. The Thai authorities have
risks could intensify. also engaged with the US, which could result in a lower US tariff rate on Thailand. In
addition, despite the 10% decline in the US dollar so far this year, we expect further
US dollar weakness versus G10 currencies. This could help offset some upside risks
to USD/THB. Elevated gold prices and export frontloading are likely to provide
additional support. However, the Thai baht is vulnerable to fresh political troubles. So
far, markets have not priced in a significant increase in the country risk premium, and
our base case is for the recent bout of political risks to be contained. But if protests
escalate to levels seen during the 2013-2014 political crisis – which culminated in a
military coup in May 2014 - there could be serious implications for tourism, the
passage of the FY26 budget bill, and economic growth, all of which would weigh on
the outlook for the Thai baht. Thousands of protesters have taken to the streets in
Bangkok, demanding the resignation of Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn following a
leaked phone call with former Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen. The diplomatic
scandal has prompted a major coalition partner, Bhumjaithai – holding 69
parliamentary seats - to exit the ruling collation, leaving the government with only a
slim majority.
Markets have not priced in a significant SOVEREIGN RISK PREMIUM HAS REMAINED MUTED XTHAILAN
increase in sovereign risk premium
into THB
Spot close
Q3 2025 Q4 2025 Q1 2026 Q2 2026
30.06.25
USD/VND 26077 26350 26300 26300 26300
JPY/VND 180.71 185.60 187.90 190.60 193.40
EUR/VND 30630 31090 31560 32090 32350
Consensus Consensus Consensus Consensus
USD/VND 26100 26100 25900 25700
MARKET UPDATE
VND weakened against the USD in In June, the Vietnamese dong weakened against the dollar to 26,077 from 26,019.
June The State Bank of Vietnam kept its key refinancing rate unchanged at 4.50%, with
some near-term moves to withdraw liquidity to support VND.
OUTLOOK
While we continue to forecast We forecast USD/VND rising to 26,300 by end-2025 in our base case scenario. VND
USD/VND to rise over time, the has underperformed since President Trump’s tariff announcements on Liberation Day
important message is that the risks are in April. This FX underperformance for the Vietnam Dong makes sense given the
far more balanced now. high absolute level of tariffs proposed for Vietnam at 46%. Moving forward, our key
message is that the risks for USD/VND are more balanced and two-sided now,
certainly relative to what we witnessed one month ago for several reasons. For one,
the US-China tariff pause has reduced the left-tail risks of a sharp US and global
recession, and this correspondingly lowers the chance of a sharp export slowdown
from Vietnam. Second, the weaker US dollar that we have already seen, and
importantly which we continue to expect moving forward, should cap upside risks for
USD/VND. While VND’s sensitivity to the US dollar is historically small, our analysis
shows VND starts to move more noticeably once changes in the dollar exceed
certain magnitudes, and importantly after a lag of 2 months. Third and finally,
Vietnam’s domestic economy also seems to be on a gradual recovery path, with the
government also undertaking some meaningful reform measures, although the full
effects of reforms may not show up immediately in our forecast horizon. The biggest
source of uncertainty is on our tariff assumptions in making our forecasts. We see a
good chance for VND to strengthen if average tariffs eventually fall firmly below 20%
with a possible trade deal reached.
US dollar weakness should cap upside WHILE VND’S SENSITIVITY TO THE DOLLAR AND ASIA FX IS SMALL, OUR
risks to USD/VND over time, with VND ANALYSIS SHOWS A THRESHOLD EFFECT, AND IMPORTANTLY AFTER A LAG
historically moving more noticeably
after large moves in DXY and the Asia
Dollar
Spot close
Q3 2025 Q4 2025 Q1 2026 Q2 2026
30.06.25
USD/ARS 1191.48 1225.0 1275.0 1325.0 1400.0
ARS/JPY 0.1211 0.1160 0.1100 0.1040 0.0970
EUR/ARS 1399.52 1445.5 1530.0 1616.5 1722.0
Consensus Consensus Consensus Consensus
USD/ARS 1277.5 1357.5 1427.5 1566.0
MARKET UPDATE
Modestly stronger In June the Argentine peso strengthened modestly against the US dollar in terms of
London from 1,200.0 to 1,191.5. The Argentine central bank (BCRA) maintained the
Leliq policy rate at 29.00%.
OUTLOOK
Peso to weaken “gradually” weaken The peso has been consolidating at lower levels against the US dollar in June after
adjusting lower in April when the government largely removed currency controls.
From 14th April, the Argentine authorities have allowed USD/ARS to float within a
band between 1,000.0 and 1,400.0 that will gradually widen over time by roughly 2%
per month. The BCRA committed to neither purchase nor sell US dollars in the FX
market unless USD/ARS hits the extremes of the bands. In reality USD/ARS has
traded within a narrower range so far between 1,100.0 and 1,200.0 in May and June.
It has not stopped the BCRA from stepping up intervention in the futures market
where the short US dollar position in May was the highest since September 2023.
The gradual weakening of the peso has helped to ease upside risks to the inflation
outlook. The monthly rate of inflation in Argentina has continued to slow falling to 1.5%
in May compared to 4.2% a year ago – a positive development for President Milei
ahead of the parliamentary elections in October. Argentina’s economy is continuing
to grow strongly as well expanding by an annual rate of 5.8% in Q1. The IMF is
scheduled to carry out its first program review of the recent USD20 billion loan
agreement. The IMF loan has helped Argentina to partly rebuild FX reserves. The
BCRA has also announced steps to boost US dollar reserves including allowing local
currency bonds to be purchased with US dollars, and eliminating minimum time
requirements for foreign investors to hold on to some Argentine bonds. Overall, we
still believe that the peso is overvalued undermining Argentina’s competitiveness.
Spot close
Q3 2025 Q4 2025 Q1 2026 Q2 2026
30.06.25
USD/BRL 5.4494 5.3000 5.3500 5.4000 5.5000
BRL/JPY 26.480 26.790 26.170 25.560 24.730
EUR/BRL 6.4009 6.2540 6.4200 6.5880 6.7650
Consensus Consensus Consensus Consensus
USD/BRL 5.6700 5.7200 5.8000 5.8400
MARKET UPDATE
Stronger In June the Brazilian real strengthened against the US dollar in terms of London
closing rates from 5.7217 to 5.4494. The Brazilian Central Bank (BCB) raised the
Selic policy rate by 0.25 percentage point to 15.00%.
OUTLOOK
Improving conditions for carry trades The real has strengthened further against the US dollar in June resulting in USD/BRL
encouraging stronger BRL hitting a fresh year-to-date low of 5.4240 on 30th June. Unlike other emerging market
currencies, the recent flare up of geopolitical risks in the Middle East has had limited
negative impact on the real. The real continues to derive support from the broad-
based weakening of the US dollar and the easing of fears over downside risks to
global growth from trade disruption. The upcoming deadline for higher “reciprocal
tariffs” on 9th July poses a challenge to improving investor risk sentiment. Trade deal
announcements in the coming weeks/months or an extension to the delayed
implementation of tariffs would be the most favourable outcome for the real. At the
same time, the real continues to benefit from the higher yields on offer in Brazil which
alongside the recent drop in financial market volatility is making the real more
attractive as a carry currency. Yields in Brazil were lifted further after the BCB
delivered another 25bps rate hike in June lifting the policy rate to 15.00%, the highest
policy rate since 1H 2006. The BCB now plan to keep the policy rate at current highly
restrictive levels for a “very prolonged” period indicating that rate cuts are unlikely at
least until next year. The resilience of Brazil’s economy to higher rates is
encouraging the BCB to push back expectations for rate cuts. As a result, domestic
fiscal concerns are not currently sufficient to prevent a stronger real. Lawmakers
recently voted to block a decree that increases so-called IOF taxes on some financial
transactions undermining the government’s efforts to meet their fiscal targets.
MARKET UPDATE
CLP strengthens modestly further In June the Chilean peso strengthened modestly against the US dollar from 942.50 to
932.04. The BCCh, at its meeting in June kept the key policy rate unchanged at
5.00% for the fifth meeting, following seven rate cuts in 2024 totalling 325bps.
OUTLOOK
Rate cuts look to be coming The peso gained by 1.1% in June against the dollar which resulted in the peso being
undermining CLP the second worst performing LatAm currency in June after ARS. The escalation of
the conflict between Israel and Iran saw larger peso selling in part due to the
monetary policy meeting coinciding with this uncertainty and the signal from that
meeting being that the rate cutting cycle could resume over the coming months. The
decision to keep the policy rate unchanged was unanimous but acknowledged that
inflation risks had subsided compared to earlier in the year. That would mean that the
policy rate, under the baseline scenario, would be “approaching its range of neutral
values” – which is estimated to be in a range of 3.5% - 4.5%. That implies that Chile’s
real policy rate could narrow further with the annual CPI rate at 4.4%, well above the
3.0% target. Annual inflation has been above the target since 2021. The current real
policy rate doesn’t provide much cushion to protect against external risks and is
considerably smaller than in Brazil and Mexico. Furthermore, Chile is more
vulnerable to higher energy prices given it imports nearly all its energy needs. Still,
with the ceasefire between Iran and Israel holding, that negative peso risk is
receding. The peso also has the China trade risks that will likely linger and with
reciprocal tariff risks elevated ahead of 9 th July and again for China in August, the
global backdrop remains unfavourable for peso appreciation. In these circumstances,
some modest CLP depreciation seems feasible.
MARKET UPDATE
MXN strengthens further In June the Mexican peso appreciated from 19.409 to 18.857. Banxico at its meeting
in June cut the key policy rate by 50bps to 8.00%, the fourth consecutive 50bp cut
this year after five 25bp cuts last year.
OUTLOOK
MXN optimism persists but could be The peso advanced further in June, dropping below the 19.000-level to hit levels last
disrupted at some stage traded in August last year. Optimism over easing global trade tensions helped trigger
the move before then reversing as global geopolitical tensions increased due to the
conflict between Israel and Iran. The ceasefire has seen renewed peso strength but
in part the renewed USD/CLP decline relfects broader US dollar selling as FOMC
rate cut expectations pick up once again. There were also reports in June that
Mexico and the US were close to reaching a deal on trade that would remove the 50%
tariff on Mexico steel imports to the US up to a certain quota. That has not been
formalised but optimism persists that President Trump will make the deal possibly
ahead of reciprocal tariff day on 9 th July. Higher inflation was recorded in May with
the bi-weekly CPI YoY rate jumping from 4.22% to 4.62% but this did not deter
Banxico from cutting by another 50bps. The real policy rate remains substsantial and
allowed for this cut but further inflation gains could see Banxico becoming more
cautious ahead. The comminication from Banxico when it cut in June was clear – it
has become more cautious with the language about future cuts of a “similar
magnitudes” removed. There was one vote to keep policy unchanged as well. We still
expect to see more pronounced evidence of a cyclical slowdown emerging in the US
which will open up the scope for more Fed rate cuts and that should see any near-
term peso depreciation due to trade reverse. We would still though expect US
slowdown to result in peso underperformance given the links to the US economy.
Headline CPI Eases, but Core Inflation HEADLINE CPI VS CORE CPI YOY, %
Remains Sticky
Spot close
Q3 2025 Q4 2025 Q1 2026 Q2 2026
30.06.25
USD/SAR 3.7503 3.7500 3.7500 3.7500 3.7500
SAR/JPY 38.477 37.870 37.330 36.800 36.270
EUR/SAR 4.4051 4.4250 4.5000 4.5750 4.6130
Consensus Consensus Consensus Consensus
USD/SAR N/A N/A N/A N/A
MARKET UPDATE
The USD/SAR forward was broadly flat In June, the 12-month Saudi riyal (SAR) forward contract remained broadly flat
in June 2025 against the USD in terms of London closing rates from 3.7516 to 3.7504. Given the
USD currency peg, Saudi monetary policy continues to closely follow the Fed, in
order to maintain the relative attractiveness of the peg and stem capital arbitrage.
OUTLOOK
Saudi Arabia’s growth holds firm on Saudi Arabia’s economy continues to show reilience amid oil production cuts, with
non-oil momentum, record FDI, and GDP growing by 3.4%y/y in Q1 2025, driven by strong non-oil private sector activity,
Vision 2030 reforms robust consumption and investment, and a rebound in government spending, despite
a modest contraction in oil GDP (-0.5% y/y). Key non-oil sectors such as retail,
transport, and manufacturing posted solid gains, reflecting ongoing diversification
efforts. The labor market remained strong, with umployment falling to a record-low
6.3%, and inflation eased to 2.2% in May, supported by moderating rent and food
prices. Furthermore, foreign direct investment (FDI) rose 24% y/y to USD6.4bn in Q1,
the highest Q1 since 2022, signaling renewed investor confidence as the kingdom
targets USD37bn in annual FDI. Meanwhile, a drop in oil exports and rising imports
narrowed the trade surplus and shifted the current account into a small deficit, though
non-oil exports and re-exports remained robust. Despite higher fiscal spending
pushing the projected 2025 deficit to 4.3% of GDP, improved non-oil revenues and
rising net foreign assets, USD435bn, provide important buffers. On the FX front, the
Saudi riyal’s peg to the US dollar remains firmly credible, backed by ample reserves
and effective monetary alighment with the US Fed, helping to anchor inflation
expectations and maintain macroeconomi stability. The IMF has raised its 2025
growth forecast to 3.5%, citing strong domestic demand, labor market gains, and
sustained progress on Vision 2030 reforms.
The 12 month USD/SAR forward USD/SAR SPOT AND 12-MONTH USD/SAR FORWARD CONTRACT XUSD/SAR
continues to trade close to spot levels
Spot close
Q3 2025 Q4 2025 Q1 2026 Q2 2026
30.06.25
USD/EGP 49.554 50.800 51.000 51.200 51.400
EGP/JPY 2.9120 2.7950 2.7450 2.6950 2.6460
EUR/EGP 58.207 59.940 61.200 62.460 63.220
Consensus Consensus Consensus Consensus
USD/EGP N/A N/A N/A N/A
MARKET UPDATE
The EGP strengthened slightly against In June, the Egyptian Pound (EGP) strengthened slightly against the US dollar in
the US dollar in June terms of London closing rates moving from 49.751 to 49.505.
OUTLOOK
Egypt faces Q1 contraction amid FX The Egyptian pound strengthened slightly against the US dollar moving from 49.751
stability and inflation pressures to 49.505, reflecting modest stability despite ongoing regional uncertainties.
However, newly released data showed Egypt’s Q1 2025 GDP contracted falling by
7.2% q/q. Inflation accelerated in May to 16.8% y/y from 13.9% y/y in April, with food
prices surging 11% and core inflation rising to 13.1%, prompting the Central Bank of
Egypt (CBE) to take a cautious stance on monetary easing. Following two
consecutive rate cuts, including a reduction to 24% in May, the CBE is expected to
tread carefully at its next policy meeting on 10th July, as it balances inflation risks,
fiscal tightening, and external volatility. The CBE maintains a medium-term inflation
target of 7% (±2ppt) by end-2026. Despite inflationary pressures, Egypt’s external
position has improved. Net foreign exchange reserves rose to a record USD48.5bn in
May, the highest level ever recorded, providing eight months of import coverage. This
improvement was supported by a surge in remittance inflows, reaching USD9.4bn in
Q1 2025, as well as substantial external financing, including a USD35bn investment
agreement with the UAE and over USD58bn in pledged support from multilateral
institutions. The March liberalisation of the exchange rate has also contributed to
renewed investor confidence and helped restore FX inflows in to the local market.
While the pound held stable in June and external buffers improved, the sharp GDP
contraction underscores lingering vulnerabilities. Elevated inflation, external shocks,
and fiscal pressures continue to weight on the recovery outlook.
Egypt’s pound holds steady in June EGYPT INFLATION (% Y/Y), POLICY RATE (%) AND USD/EGP XEGYPT IN
amid rising inflation pressures
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Geopolitical risks in the Middle East primarily affect Japan through crude oil price fluctuations, as Japan is highly dependent on energy imports, thus impacting the yen's volatility. Similarly, Singapore is affected by global trade uncertainties, which could influence its currency by altering investor perceptions of economic stability and by impacting trade relations and energy costs .
Shifting JGB issuance to shorter maturities could expose Japan to rollover risks, as frequent refinancing may be needed, especially if market conditions shift unfavorably. While this strategy aims to manage long-term yield pressures and stabilize the market, it may increase susceptibility to future interest rate fluctuations and liquidity demands .
The modification of the S$NEER policy band by the MAS signifies a response to global economic uncertainties, aiming to maintain currency competitiveness amid volatile trade conditions. By keeping the S$NEER within the upper bounds, the MAS seeks to balance export competitiveness with controlling imported inflation, thereby supporting Singapore's economic stability and growth prospect .
Stabilization of the Middle East could reduce the geopolitical risks that have previously led to a surge in crude oil prices. Since Japan relies heavily on imported energy, a stable Middle East would likely lead to lower crude oil prices, which could reduce the risk premium on the yen and support its performance against the US dollar .
A US-Philippines trade deal resulting in reduced tariffs is expected to strengthen the Philippine peso against the USD, as it would decrease trade barriers, potentially increase exports, and improve foreign direct investment, thereby enhancing economic confidence and potentially appreciating the currency .
The Bank of Japan's decision to reduce the pace of quantitative tightening by decreasing monthly JGB purchases helps stabilize the long-end of the yield curve. This measure mitigates potential supply-demand imbalances and alleviates investor concerns over debt sustainability, allowing for a moderated increase in the 10-year JGB yield .
The potential delay in Federal Reserve rate cuts is influenced by the anticipation of inflation risks that may not materialize until the end of 2026. Additionally, if firms do not fully pass on tariffs and US bank lending does not surge, inflation pressures may stay subdued, delaying rate cuts. The situation also hinges on labor market trends; if job data reveals weaknesses as suspected, the Fed might cut rates sooner .
Foreign investor sentiment is crucial for Japan’s JGB market stability because foreign purchases provide necessary capital inflows that can mitigate domestic market pressures, such as debt sustainability concerns and yield volatility. Returning foreign investment, as observed in recent weeks, indicates improved confidence which supports yield curve stability and reduces market disruptions .
The ECB's rate cuts have contributed to the euro's strengthening against other G10 currencies after a phase of consolidation, by boosting investor confidence in the European economy's resilience and fiscal strategies, particularly in Germany. This has led to the euro outperforming other major currencies, supported by positive shifts in economic indicators like the IFO Business Climate Index .
Domestic policies, such as those implemented during Trump's presidency, could influence future inflation by impacting factors like tariffs and fiscal spending. If tariffs are fully passed on to consumers or if there is a significant boost in bank lending, it could drive up money supply and inflation. However, these effects are contingent on employment trends and broader economic contexts .