The Dollar rose against the Yen Tuesday, tracking a rally in US equities after a report on August manufacturing eased fears of a steep decline in economic activity. Earlier in the session, the Yen pushed higher as a decline in European stocks reflected the unwinding of risky carry trades that use cheaply borrowed Yen to buy higher-yielding currencies. But gains in US share prices reversed that as did a US manufacturing report that showed only a narrow slowdown in August manufacturing activity.
Analysts said "Equities are still driving currencies, and for now, the market isn't pricing in a radical contraction in US growth".
In late trading, the UsdJpy moved 0.54% higher at 116.43, well off a session low of 115.34. Some analysts had earlier said the Yen received a boost from reports that the Qatar government's $50 billion investment fund intended to increase investments in Asia to offset a weakening Dollar.
The EurUsd ended unchanged at 1.3623 after hitting intraday 1.3551 low. Analysts said investors are cautious about building large positions on the Euro ahead of a European Central Bank policy meeting on Thursday. The ECB last raised rates in June, to 4% from 3.75%, and was widely expected to tighten policy again this month until the latest flare-up of market volatility. Recent poll gave a median 40% chance of a rate hike when the European Central Bank meets on Thursday.
US markets are pricing in a quarter-percentage-point cut to the 5.25% federal funds rate when the Federal Reserve meets on Sept. 18. As early as last week, they were bracing for a half-point cut.
Last week, Fed chief Ben Bernanke said the central bank was prepared to take action as necessary if financial turmoil were to start slowing growth, but added it was not the Fed's job to save speculators from investments gone sour.
Key for markets will be Friday's August US employment report, expected to show 110,000 new jobs added, above July's 92,000 gain. Analyst said a report that comes in below 100,000 would stoke fears that the housing slump and credit crisis has started to cost jobs.
The Bank of England, Reserve Bank of Australia and Sweden's Riksbank are also meeting this week, though only the Riksbank is expected to lift rates.