US Dollar: Exposure stays elevated – BNY
BNY’s Geoff Yu notes that cross-border investors’ Dollar holdings remain close to multi-year highs, driven by strong United States (US) asset exposure with fewer FX hedges. Federal Reserve (Fed) expectations and the Dollar’s yield advantage underpin this stance, while limited tightening by the European Central Bank (ECB) and policy easing in China reduce alternatives. Yu warns that unhedged flows still pose currency risk if US assets underperform.
Cross-border holdings and Fed expectations
"Fed expectations have not moved materially over the past week, but cross-border investors’ aggregate dollar holdings remain at their highest level since April 2025. That comparison needs caveating: the April episode was distorted by the extreme moves around the Liberation Day tariffs. Today’s dollar exposure is different."
"By late Q2, however, Fed expectations had become the dominant driver, with the dollar’s yield advantage making hedges increasingly expensive. That advantage now looks durable. The ECB is stepping back from additional tightening, China is effectively easing, and other major central banks show little appetite to push hikes further."
"Unhedged asset flows are still a currency risk. FX balances may be secondary to asset performance for now, particularly in externally owned sectors such as tech, but concentrated asset weakness could quickly challenge the “U.S. exceptionalism” narrative."
"Some of that risk could rotate into more defensive U.S. sectors, rather than out of the dollar altogether. Barring a clear Fed pivot, limited alternatives should keep USD exposure well above long-term averages."
"If the data continue to validate disinflation, investors should look to fade that exposure by adding dollar hedges and positioning for curve flattening."
Disclaimer: The content of this article solely reflects the author's opinion and does not represent the platform in any capacity. This article is not intended to serve as a reference for making investment decisions.
You may also like
Wall Street giants collectively raise rate hike forecasts, US Treasury futures continue to fall, gold drops over 1% to break 4000
After the US October CPI exceeded expectations, Goldman Sachs and Nomura added a forecast for an interest rate hike in March next year, while Deutsche Bank included a forecast for a rate hike in January next year. Currently, the market has fully priced in a 25 basis point rate hike in December, with a 13% probability for a 50 basis point hike. On Wednesday, the US Treasury spot market was closed, but Treasury futures continued to fall, with corresponding yields rising by about 2 to 4 basis points, and spot gold came under pressure, dropping by 1.1%.
No Need to Worry About the Cooling Down of AI Data Center Construction? The US Import Boom Is Unlikely to Subside in the Short Term, Real Impact May Come in 2029
It takes an average of 4.8 years from finalizing investment to starting construction of a data center project, and an additional 2.6 years from construction start to becoming operational. Servers usually cannot be installed until after the building structure and racks are completed. For trade partners such as Taiwan (China), South Korea, and Mexico who rely on US data center supply chain demand, the inertia in construction timelines provides at least a one- to two-year buffer for future exports.
Federal Reserve Major Debate: When Should the Tenure of “Number Three” Williams End?
The main point of contention is whether Williams should step down in June 2028, upon completing a full 10-year term, or in June 2027, when he reaches the mandatory retirement age of 65. Analysts point out that the Federal Reserve Board holds ultimate discretion; if he leaves early, Fed Chair Waller would be able to assert greater control over the appointment to this critical position. However, forcing Williams to shorten his term could easily be interpreted as political manipulation. Williams himself is expected to serve until June 2028.
Crypto prices
More
