The US dollar index, which tracks the greenback's progress against a basket of trading partners' currencies, has leapt by over 8% to a four-year high in the past three months. On a longer-term basis, however, the dollar's performance has been less impressive.
Indeed, it has been on a downtrend since the 1980s, when it hit a record 150 on the index, and the last major dollar bull market was in the 1990s.The latest surge makes up very little of the lost ground.
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Chart of the week: Norway’s crown has slippedCharts The Norwegian krone has slipped to a record low of more than ten to the euro.
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Chart of the week: sterling’s sea of troublesCharts Sterling slipped to a two-year low against the greenback this week, and remains around 12% below its pre-referendum level.
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Chart of the week: the pound’s post-war swan diveCharts The pound hit a new 20-month low against the dollar this week as Prime Minister Theresa May postponed the Brexit vote.
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Chart of the week: The Mexican peso has peakedCharts The Mexican peso has gained 8% against the dollar this year. But that's as far as it is likely to go.
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Chart of the week: government splits rock the randCharts The South African rand slipped by almost 3% last week, its worst five-day showing since August amid worries that President Jacob Zuma may be set to sack his competent and economically literate deputy Cyril Ramaphosa.
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Chart of the week: Thai baht defies gravityCharts Tourism is booming, the current account is in surplus, and the yield on local assets is enticing. No wonder the Thai baht has risen by 8% against the US dollar this year.
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Chart of the week: the loonie takes offCharts The Canadian dollar, nicknamed the loonie, has leapt to a two-year high around $1.21 against its US counterpart as a result of Canada's robust eocnomy and higher interest rates.
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Chart of the week: vote for authoritarianism will crush the Turkish liraCharts The Turkish lira has fallen as Erdogan’s authoritarian tendencies have unsettled foreign investors. It is at near record lows against the US dollar, and is unlikely to rebound any time soon.
