Chart Of The Day: U.S. Dollar Heading For Another Leg Lower

 | Aug 18, 2020 09:44AM ET

In 2017 we wrote a series of posts after China announced it was launching a yuan-based oil futures market. At that time we said the effort was as much about the renminbi competing with the US dollar's position as the global reserve currency as it was about the Asian nation wishing to influence the oil market from its position as the world’s largest energy importer.

At that time we predicted that China, Russia and Iran might form an alliance to de-throne king dollar, in an effort to reduce the US's influence on the world stage. Though that hasn't exactly come to pass, yet, there have been reports recently about a China / Russia also covered it .

As well, last month, China and Iran signed a massive $400 billion, economic deal, part of which will include the effort to “bypass American financial systems, and reduce the power of the dollar.”

Still, markets aren't expecting those efforts to unseat the greenback from its status as the world's premier currency.

However, in late July, economist and former Morgan Stanley Asia chairman, Stephen Roach, cited another reason the dollar could be in danger, an "unbelievably abysmal performance in addressing the coronavirus relative to other nations." He noted that the USD could fall as much as 35%.

Hedge funds too have become more bearish on the USD and increased short positions accordingly, but they're betting on the euro.

Technicals aren't looking particularly optimistic either.