The dollar edged higher on Wednesday as investors awaited a closely watched Federal Reserve rate decision in what was likely to be Chair Jerome Powell's swan song, against a backdrop of an Iran war that shows little sign of imminent resolution.
Activity was tempered by markets in Japan closing for a public holiday and by caution ahead of a string of major central bank decisions over the coming 48 hours, along with the likes of Amazon, Microsoft and Meta reporting earnings after Wednesday's closing bell.
Against the dollar, the euro dipped 0.07% to $1.1705 while sterling slipped 0.05% to $1.3513, as both currencies edged further away from their highs earlier this month.
The euro is around 1% below where it was at the end of February when the war broke out, while the pound is roughly unchanged.
The Fed's rate decision will later take centre stage. The central bank is widely expected to keep rates on hold, leaving the focus on policymakers' assessment of the war's impact on the economy and on Powell's future.
"The question is what Powell is going to do, because he still holds the governor seat until 2028 - so whether he chooses to resign after the expiry of the Chair term or if he stays on as a governor and as sort of a shadow Chair," said Carol Kong, a currency strategist at Commonwealth Bank of Australia.
SOURCE: Reuters
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