The baht strengthened against an easing dollar on Thursday after signs of a premiership battle ending improved investor sentiment, although equity markets in the region struggled for direction.
The Chinese yuan firmed to its highest in more than four months after the central bank eased its cross-border financing rule. China, the world’s second-largest economy, remains in focus as investors eye further stimulus measures from Beijing to revive the economy while the central bank made efforts to stall the currency drag by raising a key ratio.
The US dollar index weakened 0.15% to 100.10, but regained some lost ground after a 2% slump last week. The baht appreciated by 0.4% to trade at 34.03, a two-month high, as investors hoped for a resolution to political uncertainty with the second-placed Pheu Thai Party expected to field one of its candidates to form a government.
After more than seven hours of debate on a challenge to Move Forward Party leader Pita Limjaroenrat’s candidacy before a parliamentary vote on Wednesday, lawmakers voided his attempt at a second nomination.
“Market confidence is rising in Thailand after Pita signalled that the Pheu Thai party can field their candidate and that is raising hopes of a political resolution in the country,” said Poon Panichpibool, markets strategist at Krungthai Bank.
The baht, which had so far this year lagged its Asian peers, is now seen as rebounding. The currency has reversed course in the last three weeks to appreciate about 1.7% for the year.
The yuan strengthened 0.6%, marking its biggest intraday gain since mid-March, after China beefed up its support for the currency with a stronger-than-expected reference rate and a change to its capital curbs to attract inflows.
“The move underscores policymakers’ determination to push back against yuan weakening, especially following the rather sharp move in recent days,” said OCBC analysts.
But clearly such a move is only a short-term pushback, and markets will chase the dollar/yuan rate higher again if disappointment over the absence of stimuli grows, they added.
Equities in the region largely rose, with the benchmark indexes in Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines advancing between 0.3% and 1.5%, while those in India, Singapore and Thailand lost about 0.3% each. The Singapore dollar edged 0.1% higher, while Malaysia’s ringgit and the Philippine peso depreciated around 0.2% each.