TOKYO (Reuters) – The Japanese yen traded near a nine-month low versus the dollar on Thursday as risk appetite improved on expectations that China will continue to take steps to offset the economic impact of the coronavirus outbreak.
Gains for chipmakers and banks led the S&P 500 Index and Nasdaq Composite toward records after Bloomberg News reported that China’s latest moves to aid growth include possible bailouts for hard-hit industries. The dollar climbed to a four-month high after data on housing starts and building permits exceeded analysts’ estimates. Treasuries held steady after minutes showed Federal Reserve officials viewed monetary policy as appropriate “for a time.”
Iran said that two elderly patients died, the first fatalities, and the U.S. issued a travel watch for Hong Kong after a second patient died there.
