Word: greenbacker
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...dollar slumped against other major currencies, countless pundits and economists predicted its demise as the global economy's No. 1 currency. The doomsayers seemed vindicated when the U.S. economy descended into the worst recession since the 1930s, with its financial sector in tatters. How could an already weakened greenback maintain its value as American economic prowess withered? But then - surprise! - investors around the world decided the good old greenback was a safe haven in a time of great uncertainty. The dollar was resurrected, reversing years of slow decline...
...That strength turned out to be temporary. A ballooning U.S. budget deficit and escalating government debt has made the dollar currency non grata in many quarters once again. An index that measures the greenback's value against a basket of major currencies, including the euro and yen, has fallen about 15% from a three-year high reached in March and is now hovering near a 14-month low. Economists and analysts expect the dollar to lose a lot more ground. Daisuke Uno, chief strategist at Japan's banking giant Sumitomo Mitsui, believes the Japanese currency could strengthen...
...However, economists and manufacturers are quick to caution that the good news could be short-lived if the Canadian dollar keeps climbing toward parity with the U.S. greenback. The loonie, named after the lake bird engraved on Canada's $1 coin, hit a high of 97 cents this week, its highest level in 12 months and a 24% increase from the low of 78 cents earlier this year...
...inability of the Fed to raise rates along with the rest of the world is more bad news for the flagging dollar, and investors everywhere should pay attention. It now makes more sense to get out of the greenback and park money in higher-yielding currencies, since foreign-currency deposits will earn more in interest and could make additional foreign-exchange gains. Interest rates in Australia last week were raised a quarter point to 3.25%, and could go higher still. The unemployment rate Down Under recently fell to 5.7%, leading economists to expect another rate rise on Nov. 3. Meanwhile...
...Australian dollar jumped 2.6% vs. the greenback after the rate hike was announced. The U.S. dollar also continued to fall against the euro, which ended the week at $1.47, up 1.2% from before the Australian move. Like the Japanese yen, the dollar has effectively become a carry-trade currency. People borrow in the U.S. currency and use the proceeds to buy the Australian dollar, profiting from the interest rate differential and also the greenback's downward spiral. (See pictures of TIME's Wall Street covers...