News: FOREX-Dollar weakens after Powell speech suggests slower tightening pace

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    • Fed tightening cycle nearing end -analyst
    • Mexican peso rises as NAFTA talks seen nearing agreement
    • Turkish lira slides 2.2 percent as markets reopen
    • Graphic: World FX rates in 2018 http://tmsnrt.rs/2egbfVh

    (Recasts, updates prices, adds comment, changes dateline; previous LONDON)

    The dollar fell for a second straight session on Monday, still weighed down by comments from Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell on Friday that seemed to suggest a slower pace of monetary tightening.

    Since hitting a more than one-year high in mid-August, the dollar has fallen more than 2 percent amid remarks from U.S. President Donald Trump criticizing the Fed for raising interest rates at a time when the government was trying to stimulate the economy.

    At a symposium in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, Powell on Friday emphasized the central bank's push to raise interest rates despite Trump's criticism of higher borrowing costs. But he also said the Fed sees no clear sign of inflation accelerating above 2 percent.

    His comments did little to change market expectations for rate hikes in September and December and disappointed some dollar bulls hoping for a more hawkish message.

    "The takeaway from Jackson Hole is that the Fed may not look to tighten much more than is currently priced into markets," said Mark McCormick, North American head of FX strategy at TD Securities in Toronto.

    "It is clear the Fed cycle is close to nearing the end-game," he added.

    Interest rate hike expectations have supported the dollar this year as the U.S. economy tracked a stable growth path.

    The Treasury yield curve USUS10=TWEB on Monday reached its flattest since 2007 - a factor seen as reducing support for the dollar - in the wake of Powell's speech.

    In mid-morning trading, the dollar index, which measures the greenback against a basket of six major currencies .DXY , was down 0.2 percent at 94.97 after slipping more than 0.5 percent in the previous session.

    The euro rose 0.2 percent to $1.1647 EUR= after climbing as high as $1.1654, its strongest since Aug. 2. The currency advanced more than 0.7 percent on Friday.

    Overall, financial markets showed a healthier appetite for risk as U.S. stocks rose, curbing the U.S. currency's safe-haven appeal.

    Adding to the risk-on mood, U.S. and Mexican trade negotiators appeared close to reaching a common position on NAFTA, with Mexico's economy minister saying an announcement was "probably on the agenda."

    The Mexican peso MXN=D4 rose 1 percent against the dollar, which traded at 18.703 pesos.

    In emerging markets, the Turkish lira weakened more than 2 percent against the dollar on Monday after a week-long holiday, hit by persisting concern about a diplomatic rift with Washington over a detained U.S. pastor.

    	======================================================== 
    	Currency bid prices at 10:14AM (1414 GMT) 
    
     Description	  RIC		 Last		   U.S. Close  Pct Change	 YTD Pct	 High Bid	Low Bid 
    											  Previous				   Change				  
    											  Session											
     Euro/Dollar	  EUR=		$1.1654		$1.1621	 +0.28%		 -2.85%	  +1.1657	 +1.1594 
     Dollar/Yen	   JPY=		111.0300	   111.2200	-0.17%		 -1.46%	  +111.3600   +110.9400 
     Euro/Yen		 EURJPY=	 129.39		 129.26	  +0.10%		 -4.28%	  +129.6700   +128.8200 
     Dollar/Swiss	 CHF=		0.9819		 0.9831	  -0.12%		 +0.78%	  +0.9845	 +0.9814 
     Sterling/Dollar  GBP=		1.2878		 1.2843	  +0.27%		 -4.69%	  +1.2888	 +1.2830 
     Dollar/Canadian  CAD=		1.2998		 1.3027	  -0.22%		 +3.35%	  +1.3067	 +1.3003 
     Australian/Doll  AUD=		0.7336		 0.7324	  +0.16%		 -5.99%	  +0.7345	 +0.7308 
     ar																							  
    
     Euro/Swiss	   EURCHF=	 1.1443		 1.1425	  +0.16%		 -2.10%	  +1.1444	 +1.1411 
     Euro/Sterling	EURGBP=	 0.9049		 0.9047	  +0.02%		 +1.87%	  +0.9059	 +0.9034 
     NZ			   NZD=		0.6687		 0.6690	  -0.04%		 -5.63%	  +0.6701	 +0.6671 
     Dollar/Dollar																				   
    
     Dollar/Norway	NOK=		8.3325		 8.3261	  +0.08%		 +1.53%	  +8.3676	 +8.3174 
     Euro/Norway	  EURNOK=	 9.7134		 9.6815	  +0.33%		 -1.37%	  +9.7175	 +9.6763 
     Dollar/Sweden	SEK=		9.1151		 9.1248	  +0.15%		 +11.14%	 +9.1561	 +9.1010 
     Euro/Sweden	  EURSEK=	 10.6231		10.6068	 +0.15%		 +7.97%	  +10.6310	+10.5970                    
 
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