Investing.com-- Most Asian currencies extended gains on Friday as the dollar was set for a weekly drop over U.S. fiscal deficit concerns, while the Japanese yen strengthened after strong inflation data raised odds of another Bank of Japan rate hike.
The US Dollar Index, which measures the greenback against a basket of major currencies, fell 0.3% in Asia hours and was set to fall more than 1% for the week.
Dollar Index Futures were also trading 0.3% lower.
Japanese yen rises as strong CPI spurs BOJ hike bets
The Japanese yen gained on Friday, with its pair USD/JPY falling 0.4%. The currency was set to gain nearly 1.5% against the dollar this week.
Data on Friday showed that Japan’s core consumer inflation accelerated to 3.5% year-on-year in April 2025, surpassing market expectations of 3.4% and marking the fastest pace in over two years.
A more refined measure of inflation, the core CPI, which excludes both fresh food and energy, also edged up to 3.0% in April from 2.9% in March.
This metric is closely monitored by the BOJ as it provides insights into underlying inflation trends. The recent acceleration in inflation coincides with substantial wage hikes secured during Japan’s spring labor negotiations.
In response to these developments, market analysts are increasingly anticipating that the BOJ may consider another interest rate hike by July.
“Hotter-than-expected core inflation supports a Bank of Japan interest rate hike in July. The BoJ is expected to deliver a 25 bp hike, and then stay put for a considerable time due to high uncertainty surrounding US tariffs,” ING analysts said in a note.
Dollar droops amid fiscal concerns over Trump’s tax cut bill
The dollar was set for a weekly decline after the U.S. House of Representatives narrowly passed President Donald Trump’s sweeping tax-cut bill on Thursday.
Dubbed the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” the legislation includes substantial tax cuts, increased military and border enforcement funding, and significant reductions to green energy incentives and social programs.
According to the Congressional Budget Office, the bill is projected to add approximately $3.8 trillion to the national debt over the next decade
This follows Moody’s recent downgrade of the U.S. sovereign credit rating from Aaa to Aa1, citing escalating debt levels.
With a weaker greenback, Asian currencies continued their upward trend, although losses were capped by persisting trade uncertainty.
The South Korean won’s USD/KRW pair fell 0.5%, while the Philippine peso’s USD/PHP dropped 0.6%.
The Chinese yuan’s offshore USD/CNH and the onshore USD/CNY pairs were both trading 0.1% lower.
The Australian dollar’s AUD/USD pair rose 0.3%.
The Singapore dollar’s USD/SGD pair edged down 0.2%, while the Indian rupee’s USD/INR pair lost 0.1%.