Latest Update in the China Other Precious Metals Market

The dollar found support from investors worried about recession and seeking safety to hold just below a two-decade high on Monday, having slipped late last week after downbeat U.S. economic data reduced bets on U.S. interest rate hikes.

The U.S. dollar slipped on Friday and was on track for its first weekly decline this month, as traders dialed down bets on where interest rates may peak and brought forward their views on the timing of interest rate cuts to counter a possible recession.

The euro slid across the board on Thursday as weaker-than-expected German and French PMI data showed that the euro zone economy is struggling to gain traction, prompting traders to trim bets on big rate-hike moves from the European Central Bank.

The dollar eased against the euro and yen on Wednesday as concerns mounted that interest rate hikes by major central banks to contain inflation run the risk of inducing a sharp global slowdown or recession.

The dollar index was down 0.3% at 104.38, with the euro firmer on the day, at $1.0536, up 0.3%. The European single currency rose after European Central Bank Chief Economist Philip Lane said the ECB will raise interest rates by 25 basis points at its July meeting, but the size of its September hike is still to be decided, suggesting a larger 50 basis point hike could be in the cards.

The U.S. dollar paused for breath following a volatile week that saw it retreat sharply from a two-decade high against major peers. However, it recovered half of that by the end of last week as investors continue to assess the outlook for U.S. monetary policy and the risk of recession following the Federal Reserve’s biggest rate increase since 1995.

The dollar rose from a one-week low against major peers, bouncing off a two-day slide after the Fed’s mid-week rate increase of 75 basis points, a move that was anticipated by markets as the Fed attempts to tame stubbornly high inflation.

The Swiss franc soared against the dollar and the euro on Thursday after the Swiss National Bank delivered a surprise interest rate hike, while the British pound rose after the Bank of England delivered a rate hike of its own.