Friday is looking up for risky currencies, as President Bush will announce a plan to help US  homeowners who are at risk of defaulting on their mortgage loan. This has eased the concerns of many forex traders who have been resting their money in low-yield currencies like the yen. Now, with the subprime mortgage issues being addressed by the US government, high-risk investments will resume. Reports Reuters:

"There is some reaction to Bush’s plans to help out people who are in trouble with their mortgage payments and markets are also expecting some comments from Bernanke this afternoon regarding rate cuts. Both these factors are helping the carry trade," said Carsten Fritsch, currency strategist at Commerzbank Corporates & Markets in Frankfurt.

Read more: High yielders recover ahead of Bush, Bernanke

Investors, confident that the US mortgage situation could be weathered, pulled money out of the yen on Wednesday and put it back into risky carry trades. However, things did not look so promising for the US on Thursday. As a result, the yen was once again strengthened by nervous investors. Reuters reports:

The yen brushed off a rebound in European and Asian stocks and climbed after British newspaper The Times reported that the co-head of RBS Greenwich Capital’s collateralised debt obligations unit had left the bank along with six colleagues.

Read more: Yen recovers as spotlight returns to subprime fallout

While the US had a rough day yesterday, European stocks performed well enough to tempt investors away from the yen. Though a stable currency, the yen is a low-yielding investment and traders are ready to try their hand at a riskier venture with European stocks. There is no word yet on how this may affect Wall Street. According to Forbes:

This has pushed the yen down as investors make tentative steps back to engaging in the risky carry trade – where investors sell low-yielding currencies such as the yen to buy higher-yielding ones elsewhere. With no US data due this afternoon, how equities fare on Wall Street is likely to determine whether the rise in risk appetite can be sustained.

Read more: Yen falls back as stable European stocks prompt revival in risk appetite

Once again, fear of US mortgage problems has led investors back to arms of the reliable yen. A low-yield, low-risk currency, the Japanese yen has become a safe haven for skittish traders in recent weeks. Investors are right to be concerned, as the US housing market hasn’t been in this kind of shape in two decades. Reuters reports:

The yen extended gains against the dollar after a measure of U.S. home prices reflected the biggest year-on-year decline in the second quarter since 1987.

Read more: Yen rises as credit fears swirl

Reports from Tokyo indicate that the US dollar is holding steady in Asia as of Monday morning. After receiving promising reports from the west, recent fears about the US credit problems have alleviated and risky trades have resumed in Asia. Since then, the dollar has strengthened considerably. The Philippine Star reports:

The better US economic news slightly pared back market expectations that the US Federal Reserve will cut its benchmark interest rate next month, dealers said.

Read more:Dollar steady in Asian trade

Bank of Japan governor, Toshihiko Fukui, has expressed a desire to keep credit rates low in Japan. His aspiration to stabilize interest rates has had a positive effect on the US Dollar in Japan, reports from Tokyo are showing. While many global markets are reeling from the subprime credit problems in the US, Japan is remaining calm and forgoing a reactionary rate hike. Forbes reports:

‘I understand that global credit markets are now in the process of re-pricing risk, and we need to see if the current re-pricing proceeds in an orderly fashion, or if it develops in a disorderly manner,’ Fukui said.

Read more: US dollar higher in Tokyo as no quick rate hike seen in Japan

Although the British pound suffered earlier in the week from a large Bank of England loan, the currency has been lifted due to a survey taken by UK manufacturers. The results of the survey, which inquired about their order books, showed that manufacturers were more successful this month than they’ve been in over a decade. Analysts did not expect such a promising report, as it proved that the UK is handling global credit problems better than most countries. According to Forbes:

The Confederation of British Industry revealed that a balance of +9 pct of firms polled reported that their order books were above normal in August – the highest level for more than 12 years.

Read more: Pound boosted by buoyant UK manufacturing survey

Following a tumultuous period that stemmed from mortgage problems in the US, the global markets are finally calming down. While this is good news for most, the Japanese yen is weakening as a result. Why the change? Investors are feeling more confident about high-yielding ventures once again, leading them to pull out of the yen and continue with high-risk carry trading. Reuters reports:

While confidence in global credit markets has by no means been fully restored and fears remain that short-term liquidity could dry up, investors across a range of asset classes felt bold enough to shun safe-havens and seek higher returns.

Read more: Yen lower as calm returns to markets

Although it is not known whether the Bank of England loaned £314 million to one borrower or many yesterday, the effects were still the same. A one-day loan of such magnitude weakened the domestic currency, if only temporarily. As experts point out, this isn’t entirely unusual and the economy has survived much larger Bank of England loans. Reports Forbes:

Significantly more than 314 mln stg this [sic] has been borrowed in one day in the recent past — for example nearly 4 bln stg on June 29 and 2 bln on July 2, he [George Buckley] added.

Read more: Pounds weakens as BoE confirms 314 mln stg use of its credit facility

A huge turnout at the recent "Jamaica Forex Expo" shows that foreign exchange trading is becoming a widespread practice in Jamaica. This expo was organized by the Market Traders Institute (MTI), which has reportedly trained nearly 1500 Jamaicans thus far. It would seem that citizens of this impoverished nation have found a new hope for their future with the help of forex trading. According to Jamaica Gleaner News:

"Trading on the forex has been my path to financial independence," proclaimed one patron who was in attendance at the expo.

Read more: Interest in forex trading grows in Jamaica

Although recent credit problems in the US have led to a global market crisis, Singapore remains largely unaffected. The Singapore dollar was weakened briefly on Thursday, only to bounce back again by Friday. As for the foreign exchange markets, Singapore has been watching the unfolding drama with close observation. This is, perhaps, the reason for the city-state’s stable economy. Reports Forbes:

The MAS [Monetary Authority of Singapore] said it ‘has not needed to conduct any extraordinary operations in the markets. However, we stand ready to act if the situation warrants.’

Read more: Singapore’s forex, money markets orderly despite global slump, says MAS

Despite the effects of US subprime mortgage troubles on the rest of the world, investors have scaled back risky ventures and increased the value of both dollar and yen. While this result may be inadvertent, it is much appreciated by those who have lost major funds in the stock market recently. The future doesn’t look any brighter for US mortgage, either. According to Hemscott:

Housing starts sank 6.1 pct in July to a 1.381 million unit annual rate, the lowest since January, while building permits — a more forward-looking indicator — fell 2.8 pct to a 1.373 million rate, the lowest since October of 1996.

Read more: Dollar and yen continue higher amid flight to safety

Officials from the State Bank of Vietnam have confirmed that the country’s forex reserves have doubled, thanks to a solid investment in US dollars. What was once enough money to pay for 10 weeks of imports now buys 20. This windfall comes with a price, however, as inflation will now increase. Deputy Governor of the State Bank, Nguyen Dong Tien, hopes to keep the adverse effects to a minimum. Reports Daily Times:

Economists say double-digit inflation is a possibility, but Tien told the news conference that the central bank had stepped up its draining of inflation-fueling funds from the economy through open market transactions.

Read more: Vietnam doubles forex reserves

The US subprime mortgage and credit sectors are in dire straits, which has investors around the globe scrambling to save their money. From Europe to Asia, everyone is experiencing shockwaves. Now, the euro can be counted amongst the Australian dollar and British pound sterling as an increasingly weakening currency. According to Reuters:

The euro hit a six-week low versus the dollar and a four-month low against the yen on Tuesday on a Spanish press report that Santander is facing $2.2 billion euro exposure to high-risk U.S. loans.

Read more: Euro falls as European exposure to US credit weighs

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Despite the problems affecting currencies worldwide on Friday, the dollar is holding strong against the yen, franc and pound sterling. Although last week’s struggle affected Europe and Australia the most, the Australian dollar is expected to rally with the US dollar. Today may prove less promising for the US once things settle down. For now, however, it is considered stable for traders. Forbes reports:

…each day will be a test for the US dollar although the greenback has gained some support on demand for US Treasuries as a safe haven investment due to their triple-A rating and high liquidity.

Read more: Dollar slightly firmer in Asian afternoon trade, awaiting fresh leads

With the United States’ mortgage problems trickling into Europe, many investors have been thrown into a panic. However, the Japanese have reduced their high-risk investments, moving funds back into the reliable yen. As a result, the yen is fairing much better than other currencies. Those who have suffered from this sudden scramble include New Zealand and Australia. According to Forbes:

The increasing pressures in credit markets — with the European Central
Bank yesterday injecting 95 bln eur to boost liquidity in euro money markets — came on fears that the US subprime mortgage troubles may be spreading to Europe. Several banks admitted exposure to subprime markets, and BNP Paribas froze three asset-backed funds. This caused investors to panic and cut their exposure to carry trades — the use of low-yielding currencies to fund higher-yielding investments

Read more: Yen still strong on risk aversion

The U.S. Central Bank voted unanimously to hold interest rates steady on Tuesday, resisting pressure from Wall Street calling for an rate cut. The federal funds rate has now been at 5.25% for over a year. The Fed feared that a rate cut would only do more damage to the USD, which is already weak overseas. According to the Chicago Tribune:

About the only consolation for financial markets was the fact that the central bank at least mentioned these concerns in a statement after its meeting. That acknowledgment gave Wall Street faint hopes of an interest-rate cut later this year if credit conditions continue to deteriorate.

Tightening credit, combined with a continuing housing correction, have slammed stock prices over the past weeks. A high level of volatility has signaled to many that the bull market is over and that the credit crunch could be worse than believed

Read more: Central bank holds line on interest rates