Welcome back, readers. The standing of the dollar on the world stage has slipped in recent years, and JPMorgan found that the yuan has moved in the opposite direction. Today we're breaking down the changing tide.
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1. The dollar's share of global currency reserves has hit its lowest on record. It dipped below 59% in the fourth quarter of 2021, even before Western sanctions on Russia raised doubts about the reliability of accessing the greenback.
JPMorgan analysts pointed out that, while the decline isn't new, it has accelerated since the US trade war with China began in 2018. They found that the recent strengthening of the dollar's value also masks a steeper drop in its reserve status.
All the while, the yuan has gained ground in global reserves. But not necessarily in strength — China's currency is staring down its worst weekly drop against the dollar since 2015.
The offshore price for the yuan has fallen 2.4% over the past week to 6.53 per dollar, Bloomberg data showed. Rising US bond yields and worries over China's economic growth have led investors to shed the county's securities.
A spokesperson at China's foreign exchange bureau said the yuan's recent fluctuations are due to global market volatility, adding that the currency remains basically stable.
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"With strengthened resilience in the foreign exchange market, China has the foundation and conditions to adapt to the [US] Fed's policy adjustment," the spokesperson said Friday.
In other news:
2. Dow futures are down almost 400 points this morning. Global equities are coming under pressure from worries about inflation and economic slowdown. Take a look at what's going on today.
3. Earnings on deck: Coca-Cola, Honeywell, and PT Bank Central Asia, all reporting.
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4. Elon Musk and Twitter are in talks over his proposed takeover deal. The two sides could reach an agreement as early as this week, reports say. Read more about it here.
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7. "Big Short" investor Michael Burry warned that even the best growth stocks can crash. He gave the example of Amazon stock, which plunged more than 90% after the dot-com bubble burst — and warned inflation could restrain the Federal Reserve.
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