KUALA LUMPUR: The ringgit will likely trade in a cautious mode next week, with investors eyeing updates on the global economic performance.
Among the key events taking place next week are the Group of 20 (G20) Summit in Argentina, release of the China manufacturing purchasing manager’s index (PMI) and the oil price movement.
Stephen Innes, Asia-Pacific Head of Trading at Oanda in Singapore said the China manufacturing PMI, which is expected to soften in November, could be very harmful to regional equity sentiment.
“The local investors will continue to demystify the massive drop in energy prices which have both positive and negative effects on the Malaysian economy.
“But overall, the decline will be harmful to the large oil and gas constituents on the local exchange while falling pump prices will have a stimulatory effect on consumers,“ he told Bernama.
Innes however noted that despite an overly bearish ringgit sentiment in the market, much focus will revolve around the yuan, and its far-reaching implications on currency markets.
He noted that while the slippery oil prices would be a massive negative for the local note due to the negative impact on government coffers, there are nascent signs of a recovery in emerging market carry trades.
One of the highlights on the upcoming G20 meeting, which starts on Nov 30, he said, would be the meeting between China’s President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump in Buenos Aires to reconcile their trade dispute.
It was reported that the US is set to raise its tariffs to 25% on US$200 billion of Chinese imports on Jan 1, 2019 from 10% currently.
Innes projected that the ringgit will hover between 4.18 and 4.21 level next week, provided the global oil price improves, coupled with a positive outcome from the G20 Summit.
On a Friday-to-Friday basis, the local note weakened to 4.1920/1960 against the greenback from 4.1900/1940 recorded in the previous week.
However, against a basket of major currencies, the local note was traded lower.
The ringgit depreciated against the Singapore dollar to 3.0489/0530 from 3.0428/0462 and vis-a-vis the Japanese yen, it declined to 3.7150/7189 from 3.6946/6991.
The local currency decreased against the British pound to 5.3855/3927 from 5.3603/3671 and weakened against the euro to 4.7680/7730 from 4.7506/7568. — Bernama
