Time Magazine: The Dollar's slow decline- by Michael Schuman
So has the dollar finally used up the last of its nine lives? There are worrying signs that the world is losing its appetite for dollars. The International Monetary Fund announced on Nov. 2 it was selling 200 metric tons of gold to India's central bank for $6.7 billion. News of the purchase sent gold prices to an all-time high. The move was widely seen as part of an effort by central banks around the world to diversify their extensive U.S. dollar holdings. Steven Englander, chief U.S. currency strategist at Barclays Capital in New York City, figures that in the second quarter, dollars accounted for only 37% of new reserves accumulated by central banks worldwide. That's the lowest proportion on record for any quarter during which reserves increased significantly. At a time when many central banks are boosting their reserves, they are choosing to buy euro and yen instead. "Central banks are doing more than talking about reducing the concentration of [the U.S. dollar] in their reserve portfolios. They are actually acting on their statements," Englander wrote in an October report. If that shift from talk to action continues, the consequences could be severe and wide-ranging. Central bankers are the currency market's buyer of last resort, and thus the private sector's view of the dollar's value and stability can be heavily influenced by what they do. Still, there are many constraints to how far and fast the dollar falls. The issue facing central bankers is a complex one.
Labels: US Dollar
