Dollar rises to session high after Warsh comments, set for weekly gain

U.S. dollar experienced a significant rise on Friday, setting the stage for its largest daily increase in over two and a half months. Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh, in his first address at the Jackson Hole symposium of central bankers, suggested that interest rate hikes might be necessary if policymakers question whether inflation is returning to the central bank's 2 percent target.

Warsh's remarks indicated that the Federal Reserve would need to take action if inflation does not appear to be slowing down, acknowledging that financial conditions do not seem restrictive and marking the closest he has come to acknowledging potential interest rate hikes to alleviate price pressures. The expectations for a rate hike of at least 25 basis points at the Fed's September meeting increased to 57.5 percent following Warsh's comments, up from around 35 percent prior to his speech.