The dollar was on
tenterhooks in Asian trading on Wednesday as investors waited anxiously
to see what clues the U.S. Federal Reserve would soon reveal on its
monetary policy outlook.The
U.S. central bank began its two-day monetary policy meeting on Tuesday.
With the futures market pricing in more than a 90 percent chance that
it would raise interest rates, investors' main focus turned to what its
statement would say about the pace of hikes this year.
Against
its Japanese counterpart, the greenback edged down 0.1 percent to
114.67, shy of last week's high of 115.51, which was its highest level
since Jan. 19 as expectations built for the rate increase.
"I
think the dollar might have trouble above the 115 level today, with
Japanese exporters still seeking to sell above it ahead of the end of
the Japanese fiscal year this month," said Kaneo Ogino, director at
foreign exchange research firm Global-info Co in Tokyo.
"Of
course, everyone is waiting for the Fed, so we're expecting range-bound
trading until we get some clear signals about expectations for the rest
of the year," he said.
U.S.
inflation data overnight cemented rate hike expectations. U.S. producer
prices rose more than expected last month, marking the most robust
year-on-year gain in nearly five years.
Sterling
nursed its losses after tumbling to an eight-week low of $1.2110 in the
previous session, amid worries about a prolonged and painful process of
the UK's exit from the European Union.