USA: Dollar Strengthens on Fed Rate Hike Bets.

The dollar index climbed above 99.3 on Monday, reaching its strongest level in six weeks as rising inflationary pressures linked to the Middle East conflict reinforced expectations that the Federal Reserve could raise interest rates later this year. In the latest developments, President Donald Trump warned Iran to “get moving” or face consequences after departing China without securing major trade breakthroughs or meaningful progress toward ending the conflict and reopening the Strait of Hormuz. The latest US CPI and PPI data released last week indicated that the energy price shock is feeding into broader US inflation, leading traders to fully rule out any Federal Reserve rate cuts this year while increasing bets on a possible rate hike before year-end. Investors are now awaiting the latest FOMC meeting minutes and flash US PMI data for additional clues on the outlook for monetary policy and economic activity.