Insights June 11, 2026

Back to fundamentals and monetary policy

In this Viewpoint FX, we return to the core drivers of currency markets, focusing on how monetary policy divergence and macro fundamentals are reasserting their influence.

Key takeaways 

  • The USD has been supported by geopolitical risk premia and a hawkish repricing of Fed expectations in swaps. A sustained de-escalation in the Middle East should unlock EUR upside, particularly given the ECB’s likely front-loaded tightening in response to elevated inflation expectations.
  • Structural factors such as gradual monetary policy normalisation and capital repatriation flows support a stronger JPY.
  • CNY has outperformed most currencies vs. USD in 2026, appreciating by roughly 3% YTD and showing resilience even during geopolitical shocks. CNY still looks undervalued.