The US dollar continued sinking as 2020 was set to finish, allowing currencies ranging from the euro to the Chinese yuan to strengthen.
Bearish dollar bets near decade high as 2020 draws to an end. #BQMarkets
— BloombergQuint (@BloombergQuint) December 29, 2020
Read: https://t.co/phFHjJz8U8 pic.twitter.com/PdJ0FF30j9
On the last day of the year investors were wielding the “twin deficits” excuse for shorting the dollar, as a new US stimulus bill was seen as further compounding the nation’s debt amid an explosion in the budget and trade deficits, according to Reuters.
The United States has been in this category, ascribed to economies that have both a fiscal deficit and a current account deficit, for years. According to the Census Bureau, America's trade deficit was $63 billion in October, and the current account was in deficit to a tune of $179 billion in the third quarter, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis.
Analysts have been staking everything on forecasts that the global economic recovery in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic would funnel money into riskier assets, especially in emerging markets.
Dollar in a ‘Funk’
The dollar sank against a basket of currencies to 89.643c - its lowest since April 2018, when it stood at 89.74c. The overall drop for 2020 is 7.2 percent.
The US Dollar may continue to lose ground against its major counterparts in the near term after falling to multi-year lows. Levels to watch for AUD/USD, EUR/USD, NZD/USD, USD/CAD. Get your market update from @DanielGMoss here:https://t.co/qRCDo0KYlB pic.twitter.com/l9ck3EFZGG
— DailyFX (@DailyFX) December 30, 2020
The next target predicted by analysts is 89.277c and then 88.251c.
The dollar was buying 103.15 yen on Thursday, managing to stay above the December low of 102.86.
The euro, reaching its highest level since April 2018, stood at $1.2291, with a gain of almost 10 percent for the year.
Biggest technical development over last 24 hours is the US Dollar's FURTHER breakdown under early Dec lows- This puts $DXY at within striking distance of 2018 lows- Both $EURUSD and $GBPUSD making breakouts which should follow-through near-term- Sentiment very bearish, but.. pic.twitter.com/CS4IJuyuDE
— Mark Newton (@MarkNewtonCMT) December 30, 2020
The greenback also slumped against the Chinese yuan, reaching 6.4900 for the first time since mid-2018.
Sterling held gains after lawmakers approved a post-Brexit trade deal with the European Union, stretching as far as $1.3641 - a level not seen since May 2018.
As forecasts for 2021 suggested more optimism on the back of a global economic recovery, the need for the safe-haven dollar dwindles.
“The US dependence on foreign savings is increasing and at 3.4 percent of GDP, it is approaching a danger zone where it will become increasingly difficult to attract savings without further dollar weakness, or higher interest rates,” said Alan Ruskin, global head of G10 FX at Deutsche Bank, in a note cited by the outlet.
He added that the further “deterioration” in the twin deficits will hardly burnish dollar sentiment.
