NEW YORK, Nov 20 (Reuters) – The yen slid to seven-month
lows against the U.S. dollar on Tuesday and fell nearly as low
against the euro on expectations that Japan’s central bank will
be pushed to move aggressively to try to weaken the yen with
looser monetary policy.

The euro slipped against the greenback after a downgrade of
France’s sovereign credit rating late on Monday, which had been
expected, undercut optimism that euro-zone ministers would
release funds needed for Greece to pay its debt.

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Expectations that Japan’s central bank will be pushed to move aggressively to try to weaken the yen with looser monetary policy pulled the Japanese currency to seven-month lows against the U.S. dollar on Tuesday and nearly as low against the euro.

The euro’s value against the greenback dropped modestly after an expected downgrade to France’s sovereign credit rating late on Monday undercut optimism that euro zone ministers would release funds needed for Greece to pay its debt.

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Expectations that Japan’s central bank will be pushed to move aggressively to try to weaken the yen with looser monetary policy pulled the Japanese currency to seven-month lows against the U.S. dollar on Tuesday and nearly as low against the euro.

The euro’s value against the greenback dropped modestly after an expected downgrade to France’s sovereign credit rating late on Monday undercut optimism that euro zone ministers would release funds needed for Greece to pay its debt.

PARIS/NEW YORK (Reuters) – Moody’s stripped France of its prized triple-A badge on Monday, cutting the sovereign credit rating on Europe’s No. 2 economy by one notch to Aa1 from Aaa, citing an uncertain fiscal outlook and deteriorating economy.

The downgrade, which follows a cut by Standard & Poor’s in January, was widely expected but is still a blow to Socialist President Francois Hollande as he strives to convince the world he can fix France’s public finances and stalled economy.

Nov 19, NEW YORK (Reuters) – Moody’s Investors Service downgraded France’s sovereign rating by one notch to Aa1 from Aaa, the agency said on Monday, citing the country’s uncertain fiscal outlook as a result of “deteriorating economic prospects.”

Moody’s said it is maintaining a negative outlook on the country due to structural challenges and a “sustained loss of competitiveness” in the country.

BUENOS AIRES/NEW YORK, Nov 16 (Reuters) – Argentina’s
government will tell a U.S. judge on Friday that sovereign debt
repayments are made outside the United States and are therefore
immune to U.S. law and seizures by holdout bondholders, the
South American country’s state news agency reported.

Argentina is fighting an October ruling by a U.S. federal
appeals court that would force the government to pay holdout
creditors owning bonds that have been in default since 2002.
It is due to present papers by midnight.

NEW YORK, Nov 13 (Reuters) – Nations often owe creditors
more after debt restructurings – not less – as limping
economies, weakened banks and more take their toll, Moody’s
Investors Service said on Tuesday, suggesting that debt-laden
Greece could be in for more pain ahead.

“We basically found that Greece’s experience is not unique,”
said Elena Duggar, an analyst with the credit policy group at
Moody’s Investors Service.

NEW YORK (Reuters) – The dollar rose to a two-month high against major currencies on Wednesday as investors shifted focus to U.S. fiscal woes after President Barack Obama’s re-election, bolstering the appeal of the safe-haven U.S. currency.

The euro came under pressure after European Central Bank President Mario Draghi said the bank expects the euro zone economy to remain weak “in the near term,” adding to investor nervousness ahead of the central bank’s policy meeting on Thursday.

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Moody’s Investors Service said on Wednesday it will hold off on its judgment of whether to cut its sovereign credit rating for the United States until after the 2013 budget process is completed.

The re-election of U.S. President Barack Obama removed the uncertainty over who would lead the country but the maintenance of the status quo in a still-divided Congress means the likelihood of a continued tough fight to hammer out a budget.

NEW YORK, Nov 5 (Reuters) – The euro fell to a near
two-month low against the U.S. dollar on Monday on uncertainty
over a Greek vote on reforms needed to secure international aid
and as investors awaited the U.S. elections on Tuesday.

The technical outlook for the euro was also bleak after the
currency broke below its 200-day moving average, suggesting
further near-term losses.