Reuters: US Dollar Report: FOREX-Euro edges up after hitting nearly 2-year low

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FOREX-Euro edges up after hitting nearly 2-year low May 24th 2012, 15:57 Thu May 24, 2012 11:57am EDT * German manufacturing PMI, Ifo surveys weak, weigh on euro * Concerns of potential Greek exit add to bearish outlook * Break below $1.25 could see move towards 2010 low By Gertrude Chavez-Dreyfuss NEW YORK, May 24 (Reuters) - The euro edged up from nearly two-year lows against the dollar on Thursday as investors consolidated bearish positions on the common currency ahead of a long U.S. holiday weekend, although any bounce could be fleeting as the market frets about Greece's possible exit from the euro zone. Dour German manufacturing data on Thursday reminded investors that no country in the region was immune from the debt crisis. The German report further unnerved investors already worried not only about Greece but also by the risk that other similarly indebted countries such as Spain could also exit the regional bloc or default on their debt. Paul Dietrich, chief executive officer at Foxhall Capital Management in Orange, Connecticut said, however, that Greece's problems have already been priced in by the market. "What investors are worried about is a banking crisis in Europe. Mainly they are looking at who is the next one to exit," said Dietrich. "If Spain starts looking likely that it could leave the European Union or default on its debt, then you're going to see a major banking crisis in Europe because European banks hold massive amounts of Spanish debt." Dietrich has retained a defensive stance in his portfolio, with 70 percent of holdings in short-term U.S. Treasuries. The unexpectedly weak Ifo business climate index and manufacturing PMI data for May suggested that the growth in Europe's largest economy that had helped the euro zone dodge recession may be starting to slow. Signs of a downturn across the region, along with banking sector problems in Spain and the risk of contagion ensnaring bigger economies are combining to keep euro bears firmly in control, with some investors targeting $1.20 in coming weeks. The euro dropped to $1.25155 on trading platform EBS, its lowest since July 2010, before recovering to hit session highs at $1.26209 as some investors booked profits on bearish positions. The euro was last at $1.2589, flat on the day. Traders reported an options barrier at $1.2500 with more stop-loss orders cited at $1.2480. Bob Lynch, chief currency strategist at HSBC in New York did acknowledge some positive signals on the euro/dollar chart which flagged a near-term bounce. "But even if such corrective gains do materialize, the current dynamics in the market - the negative sentiment toward the euro zone and increasing pessimism about that region and global growth - suggest they will more likely be used as selling opportunities," Lynch said. In the options market, the euro's decline to two-year lows against the dollar pushed one-month at-the-money implied volatility to 13.13 percent, its highest in more than four months on Thursday before slipping to 11.76 percent. Meanwhile, the cost of protecting against a further euro decline continued its rise, to 2.40 percent, approaching multi-month peaks hit last Monday. Gains in the euro versus the Swiss franc also helped the euro against the dollar, traders said. The euro earlier jumped to 1.2075 francs, its highest since late March on speculation the Swiss government is going to impose tax on deposits, traders said. By midday, the euro was at 1.2025 francs, up 0.1 percent on the day. The euro has lost 1.5 percent against the dollar so far this week with sentiment already fragile after a European Union leaders summit on Wednesday failed to shed light on how they might tackle the euro zone debt crisis. Real money investors and macro funds have stepped up selling the euro in recent days as concerns Greece might quit the euro zone intensified. Fears of a Greek exit have mounted after an inconclusive election this month left the country on the path to bankruptcy and raised the risk of contagion. Greeks will vote again on June 17, with polls showing a neck-and-neck race between parties supporting and opposing terms of the country's international bailout, keeping markets on edge. BROAD DOLLAR STRENGTH European Central Bank data showed 35.4 billion euros of net direct portfolio investment flowed out of the euro zone in March, suggesting investors are starting to shun the region's assets. The safe-haven dollar and yen were the beneficiaries of the flows out of Europe, with the euro little changed against the yen at 100.03 yen, having fallen to 99.33 yen, its lowest since Feb. 1. The dollar index climbed to a 20-month high of 82.362, while the greenback rose to a 15-month peak versus the Swiss franc of 0.95959 francs. The greenback was steady at 79.41 yen, showing limited reaction after Bank of Japan governor Masaaki Shirakawa said the central bank was resolved to maintain its ultra-loose monetary policy but would not ease solely to weaken the yen. Link this Share this Digg this Email Reprints

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