The Singapore dollar fell in lackluster trading on Friday during US hours as GDP data as well as comments by the Federal Reserve Chair came in as hawkish as expected.
The Singdollar is expected drop further along with the rest of Asian currencies during local trading on Monday as the greenback has rallied to a 70-day high against the euro following the fresh monetary signals from the world's largest economy.
The United States revised the first quarter GDP data on Friday to a year-on-year growth rate of 0.8% from 0.5% flashed in the preliminary data last month. A couple of hours later, the Fed Chair Janet Yellen said additional rate hikes would be appropriate in the coming months.
"It's appropriate – and I have said this in the past, I think – for the Fed to gradually and cautiously increase our overnight interest rate over time," said Yellen, adding: "Probably in the coming months such a move would be appropriate."
USD/SGD jumped to 1.3800 from 1.3750 following the developments, translating to a 0.3% slide in the Singapore currency. The pair is likely to break through Tuesday's high of 1.3840 next week which could take the local dollar to fresh 2-month lows.
EUR/USD dropped to 1.1111, its lowest since mid-March. Technically, the pair is now testing an uptrend bottom, and a decisive break of this will expose supports like 1.0800 and then 1.0550 ahead of 2015 March trough of 1.0460.
A break below that will take the greenback to a 14-year high against the common currency.
The upward momentum in the US currency is likely to weigh down emerging market currencies in Asia on Monday.
The Malaysian ringgit which weakened on Friday could drop further next week and even break through Tuesday's levels to hit a fresh 2-month low against the greenback. The high USD/MYR hit on 24 May was 4.1280 and it ended Friday's deals at 4.0915, not far away.
The Indian rupee has ended Friday at a one-week high of 66.96/USD tracking higher equity markets but the currency's rally over the past few days could reverse thanks to the latest US indications.
Like the ringgit, the Indonesian rupiah is also only slightly away from the 24 May trough of 13,735/USD, and Monday's dollar force could push it to fresh multi-month lows.
The Thai baht slipped to 35.72/USD on Friday and further decline in the local unit will need to break through 35.96 to make fresh multi-month lows.
