Dollar declines as Fed’s Powell maintains dovish message

  • U.S. producer prices surged in June
  • Reserve Bank of New Zealand ends bond purchases
  • Bank of Canada tapers bond purchases

NEW YORK, July 14 (Reuters) – The dollar pared recent gains on Wednesday after Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell told Congress the U.S. economy was “still a ways off” from levels the central bank wanted to see before tapering its monetary support.

His comments came as a report showed U.S. producer prices rose more than expected, posting their biggest annual increase in more than 10-1/2 years. A day earlier, data showed June U.S. inflation hit its highest in more than 13 years. read more

The strong inflation has lifted the greenback to just shy of its three-month high, as focus sharpened on when central banks around the world will begin withdrawing pandemic-era stimulus.

That focus intensified on Wednesday after the Reserve Bank of New Zealand said it was ending bond purchases, raising expectations it could raise interest rates as soon…

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