Dollar and euro drift, yen slips as markets seek direction

On Tuesday, the US dollar hovered near 158.56 yen as investors sought direction in the markets. The euro remained steady at US$1.1216 against the greenback, while the British pound edged up 0.1% to US$1.3308. Australia's currency also saw a slight gain, rising 0.1% to US$0.6986, while New Zealand's currency followed suit with a 0.1% increase to US$0.5668.

Despite the seemingly positive market sentiment, European risk remained a concern for traders. French sovereign risk, in particular, was being factored into European equities, but the euro's resilience indicated that traders were not yet viewing it as a systemic European issue. French authorities had imposed curfews in several cities due to nationwide anti-government protests, causing turmoil in President Emmanuel Macron's final months in office. Meanwhile, Italy announced it would deploy 500 troops in response to two days of unrest.

The widening spread between French and German 10-year government bonds, up 9.9 basis points to 147.3 basis points, added to the pressure against the euro. The US 10-year Treasury bond's yield remained flat at 5.131%, while the US dollar index rebounded 0.2% to 101.98, ending two days of losses. Against the Chinese yuan, the dollar held steady at 6.6811 yuan, following the People's Bank of China's decision to keep interest rates unchanged, as expected. Bitcoin traded flat at US$81,906.58, while ether saw a modest 0.3% increase to US$2,405.99.