Traders Brace for a Jolt With Trump’s Health, Stimulus in Focus
- Trump hospitalization announced after close of markets Friday
- FX markets open in Asia-Pacific amid U.S. political turmoil
Markets face the prospect of additional turmoil this week after Donald Trump’s hospitalization for coronavirus late Friday raised concerns over the U.S. president’s health and further roiled a Washington political landscape already riven by battles over fiscal stimulus and the Supreme Court.
Foreign-exchange markets were the first to open Monday, with attention focused on the outlook for havens such as the Japanese yen and riskier currencies like the Australian dollar. The yen, trading around 105.30 per dollar, held onto its gains from Friday in early Asia-Pacific trading, although with Sydney observing a holiday the market remained muted and liquidity appeared thin. The Australian dollar maintained the bulk of Friday’s decline and was quoted around 71.62 U.S. cents.