The dollar rose modestly in today's Asian session, boosted by mild risk-on sentiment. Mixed data emerging from China's manufacturing PMI cast a shadow over market sentiment, contributing to a dismal start in Hong Kong's stock market. The HSI index is grappling with the fallout of its fourth consecutive year of losses as a prolonged period of underperformance continues.
Conversely, the Japanese Yen is depreciating significantly while Japan is on holiday. A strong earthquake in central Japan on New Year's Day added uncertainty to the economic outlook. Investors are closely monitoring the situation, assessing the potential consequences of this natural disaster.
In Europe, both the Swiss Franc and the Euro have seen the British Pound, meanwhile, show a mixed performance. Meanwhile, Aussie and Loonie are in a more secure position.