THE ringgit opened firmer against the US dollar on Friday, supported by improved risk appetite among investors and sustained demand for the local currency, amid growing expectations of a softer US monetary policy outlook.
At 8am, the ringgit strengthened to 3.9750/9935 against the US dollar, compared with Thursday’s close of 3.9795/9845.
Bank Muamalat Malaysia Bhd Chief Economist Dr Mohd Afzanizam Abdul Rashid said the US Dollar Index (DXY) had declined 0.32 per cent to 98.819 points, reflecting weaker sentiment towards the greenback.
He added that US Treasury yields also eased, with both the two-year and 10-year notes falling by two basis points to 3.77 per cent and 4.28 per cent respectively.
Afzanizam noted that the latest US economic data pointed to a softer growth trajectory, with gross domestic product for the fourth quarter of 2025 slowing to 0.5 per cent, below consensus estimates of 0.7 per cent and down sharply from 4.4 per cent in the third quarter.
“This suggests the US economy is on a weaker trajectory, and the Core Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) inflation, which moderated to three per cent in February from 3.1 per cent previously, suggests the Federal Reserve might cut interest rates at some point this year.
“As such, this could be positive for the ringgit. Nonetheless, guarded sentiment over the ceasefire would keep a lid on the pace of ringgit appreciation,” he said.
In early trade, the ringgit showed mixed performance against major currencies.
It strengthened against the Japanese yen to 2.4981/5099 from 2.5028/5061 at Thursday’s close, but edged lower against the euro at 4.6468/6684 compared with 4.6457/6515, and slipped against the British pound to 5.3372/3621 from 5.3337/3404.
Against ASEAN currencies, the ringgit was also mixed.
It weakened against the Singapore dollar to 3.1216/1366 from 3.1204/1246, but rose against the Thai baht to 12.3859/4517 from 12.3976/4201.
It was largely unchanged against the Philippine peso at 6.65/6.69 and nearly flat against the Indonesian rupiah at 232.6/233.7. - April 10, 2026
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