July 31 (Reuters) – Currencies of most emerging European countries slipped against the dollar on Wednesday, with the Turkish lira touching a record low, while a gauge of EM stocks rose as investors awaited the Federal Reserve’s interest rate decision later in the day.
MSCI’s indexes tracking emerging market stocks jumped 1.1%, lifted by gains on Asian bourses on hopes for economic stimulus in China after data showed the country’s manufacturing activity slipped to a five-month nadir in July.
Additionally, geopolitical risks remained on the radar after Hamas said its leader Ismail Haniyeh was assassinated in Iran, drawing worries about further escalation in the region.
Turkey’s lira dipped 0.2% versus the dollar, touching a fresh all-time low of 33.1075 against the greenback, while stocks in Turkey dipped 0.5%.
Currencies in emerging European economies edged lower, with the Hungarian forint and Czech crown losing about 0.1% against both the euro and the greenback.
Meanwhile, the Polish zloty slipped 0.2% against the euro after data showed inflation jumped significantly in July, from 2.6% to 4.2% year-on-year, primarily due to the government’s partial withdrawal of measures aimed at keeping down energy prices.
Investors awaited the U.S. Federal Reserve’s policy decision later on Wednesday, where the central bank is expected to hold rates but could potentially signal rate cuts are imminent.
The Fed is a key event on a central bank-packed week. The Bank of Japan hiked interest rates earlier in the day. Decisions are on deck from the central banks of Colombia, Brazil, Chile on Wednesday, and the Czech Republic on Thursday.
“The BoJ and FOMC meetings bookend and are the focal points for a very busy day,” said Marc Ostwald, global strategist at ADM Investor Services International.
“It is also month end, and price action thus far this week suggests this has been a constraint, above all given all of the event risk this week, not to mention long-standing national and geopolitical issues,” Ostwald said, adding plenty of trading activity was likely post the Fed meeting as investors rebalance portfolios.
The emerging markets stock index is on pace for its first monthly decline since January, while an index tracking EM currencies is on track to rise about 0.3%, as markets have grappled with a U.S. tech-led equity selloff, while gauging the likelihood of lower interest rates in the U.S.
Emerging market bonds have fared better, with J.P. Morgan’s index of dollar-denominated EM bonds returning 1.6% in July, putting its year-to-date gains at nearly 4%.
Elsewhere, the World Bank’s board approved $1.5 billion in financing for its first ever budget support lending to Ethiopia, it announced on Tuesday.
Ethiopia’s birr was trading around 74.738 against the dollar.
Nigeria’s naira was also under pressure, quoted at 1610 to the dollar and on course to fall nearly 7% in July.
(Reporting by Lisa Mattackal in Bengaluru; Editing by Shailesh Kuber)
