Continued dollar rally looks increasingly likely

The US dollar is set to end another week higher against nearly all major currencies. To a large extent, this latest rally appears to be driven by the rise in short-term government bond yields in the US relative to other major economies, notably the euro-zone. And today’s news about renewed lockdowns in parts of Europe has reinforced growing concerns about the pace of the global economic recovery. Given our view that global growth will continue to slow and inflationary pressures in the US will prove more sustained than widely anticipated, the backdrop remains favourable for the dollar to strengthen further. Indeed, the minutes of the FOMC’s last meeting (due Wednesday) could lend support to this view.