HONG KONG, Nov. 18 (Reuters) – The dollar hovered below a 16-month peak in early Asian trade on Thursday, after losing ground to the pound and yen overnight as the US currency took a pause as traders wondered if her recent surge was starting to run out of steam.

The British pound was at $ 1.3491, a one-week high against the dollar jumping 0.5% on Wednesday after a jump in British inflation in October prompted the Bank of England to raise its rate at its meeting next month. Read more

Against the Japanese currency, at 114.18 yen, the dollar was still in sight of Wednesday’s 4.5-year high of 114.97, and the euro was at $ 1.1316, languishing near a low 16 months, markets seeing the eurozone near the back of the queue for the central bank rate hike.

Strong U.S. retail sales data earlier this week fueled the recent dollar rally, which began last week after a strong impression of U.S. inflation bolstered market bets that the Federal Reserve will have to increase rates by the middle of next year.

The dollar index, which measures the currency against a basket of six rivals, fell from 93.872 on November 9, the day before inflation data to 96.226 on Wednesday, its highest level since mid-July 2020. It was at 95.798 for the last time.

However, “the durability of the current dollar’s strength beyond the next few months seems far from certain,” said Luc Luyet, FX strategist, Pictet Wealth Management.

“Market expectations for the Fed are starting to be particularly hawkish, suggesting limited tailwinds for the US dollar from this factor.”

“In addition, the outlook for economic growth may turn more favorable for the euro as the worst of China’s economic downturn seems largely behind us, as the costs of Covid and import d energy may prove to be less of a problem last winter. “

Others, however, saw a falling dollar as a chance to buy.

“Dips have been hard to come by lately, but anything in the 95 lows looks like a buying opportunity,” Westpac analysts said in a note.

Elsewhere, commodity-linked currencies were hit by oil prices, which fell to their lowest level in six weeks.

The Canadian dollar was at 1.2608 to the US dollar, near its six-week low reached a day earlier. Markets expect the Bank of Canada to start raising interest rates early next year.

The Australian dollar was at $ 0.7263, also its six-week low.

Bitcoin changed little around $ 60,500.

Reporting by Alun John Editing by Shri Navaratnam

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