The U.S. dollar weakened in early Asian trading on Tuesday as investors weighed remarks from Federal Reserve officials on the path of interest rates. The U.S. dollar index slipped to 97.28, extending Monday’s decline after a brief three-day rally.
Market sentiment turned cautious after Fed officials signaled a slower approach to easing monetary policy. St. Louis Fed President Alberto Musalem said the central bank should “tread cautiously,” while Atlanta Fed President Raphael Bostic emphasized inflation remains above the Fed’s 2% target, suggesting no further cuts are needed this year. Cleveland Fed President Beth Hammack echoed similar caution, though none of them vote this year. By contrast, new Fed Governor Stephen Miran warned the Fed risks harming the labor market without deeper cuts.
U.S. Treasury yields ticked higher, with the 10-year at 4.1467% and the two-year at 3.6051%, as traders priced in lower chances of an October cut. Futures implied only a 10.2% chance of a hold, up from 8.1% on Friday, according to CME’s FedWatch tool.
The dollar held steady at 147.74 yen, while the euro traded at $1.1798. Sterling was flat at $1.35125, and the Australian dollar edged down to $0.6599. The kiwi slipped to $0.5867 ahead of a central bank leadership announcement. China’s offshore yuan stayed at 7.1158 per dollar.
Elsewhere, Argentina’s peso surged 4.5% after U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent suggested possible measures, including swap lines and direct currency purchases, though action would follow talks with Argentine President Javier Milei.
Meanwhile, gold reached a record $3,749.03 per ounce as safe-haven demand strengthened ahead of Fed Chair Jerome Powell’s scheduled remarks later in the day.