THE US dollar was set for its biggest one-day rise since March 2020 against major peers on Wednesday (Nov 6) and Bitcoin jumped to an all-time high after Donald Trump was re-elected president, with the Republicans also winning the Senate and making gains in the House.
The US currency’s climb began after very early indications of a Republican win in Georgia and gains have held throughout the European morning.
The dollar index – which measures the currency against six major peers – advanced 1.7 per cent to 105.16 as of 1130 GMT, a four-month peak. That put it on course for its best day since March 2020.
Trump’s fiscal, tariff and immigration policies are seen as inflationary by analysts, buoying treasury yields and in turn the dollar.
“It has already been a very strong reaction, a sharp increase in the dollar,” said Niels Christensen, chief analyst at Nordea.
“Expectations of looser fiscal policy and a tight labour market point to higher inflation and higher yields.”
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The benchmark 10-year US treasury yield rose 17 basis points to 4.44571 per cent, a four-month high.
The US currency jumped over 3 per cent to 20.8038 Mexican pesos, a more than two-year high. It rose as much as 1.3 per cent to 7.1967 yuan in offshore trading for the first time in almost three months.
The onshore yuan finished the domestic session down 0.8 per cent at 7.1649 per dollar, on track for its biggest daily loss since June 2023.
Mexico and China are among countries that stand to be hardest hit by possible Trump tariffs.
The euro fell as much as 1.9 per cent to US$1.0702, its lowest since Jun 28. Sterling slipped 1.3 per cent to US$1.2873.
The dollar rose to 154.38 yen, the highest since Jul 30. It was last at 153.92.
Japan’s chief Cabinet secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said on Wednesday that the government intended to closely watch moves on the foreign exchange market, including speculative moves, with a higher sense of urgency.
Bitcoin climbed as much as 8.6 per cent to reach a record US$75,389. It was last up around 7.5 per cent at US$74,361. Trump is seen as more actively supportive of cryptocurrencies than Harris.
Republicans also won control of the Senate, and made gains in the House of Representatives as the party battled to retain control there, raising the potential for a so-called “Red Sweep”.
“The likelihood of a Republican sweep is quite large and that means more expansionary fiscal policy,” said Kirstine Kundby-Nielsen, FX analyst at Danske Bank.
“A more expansionary fiscal policy and ‘America first’ approach will support US assets, including the dollar,” Kundby-Nielsen added. REUTERS
