EM currencies advance on Iran talks

Most emerging market currencies advanced outside Asia as hopes of a deal in the Middle East drove down oil prices and boosted risk sentiment.

The rand led gains as South African central bank Governor Lesetja Kganyago promised that officials will lower the inflation rate back to its 3% target. The Hungarian forint and the Mexican peso also strengthened.

“Diplomatic efforts to ease tensions in the Middle East improved market sentiment,” said Piotr Matys, a strategist at In Touch Capital Markets.

He also cited Kganyago’s comments as supporting the rand. South Africa last week raised borrowing costs by 25 basis points to 7%, delivering the first rate increase in three years as inflationary pressures intensified after the start of Iran war.

In Asia, China’s yuan climbed to its highest in nearly four years versus a basket of trading-partner currencies. The MSCI EM currency index edged 0.2% lower.

Elsewhere, Zambia’s 2053 dollar bond, which the government is trying to buy back, gained to trade around 81 cents in the dollar. That’s a post-restructuring high and implying a greater value than the country’s current cash offer price. A group of holders of the bonds is opposing the government’s tender to buy back the securities.

In equities, stocks advanced for the third day on the back of a rally fueled by Asian technology stocks. The MSCI index rose 0.9% on Tuesday for a three-day gain of 3.7%.

“Generally, political jawboning tied to the Iran war continues to whipsaw markets,” said Elias Haddad at Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. “Strength in EMEA currencies likely reflects the pullback in crude oil prices.”

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