OilPrice.com (May 24)
De-Dollarization has begun. In China, the majority of cross-border payments had always been in dollars. “In March 2023, the share of the RMB in China’s settlements surpassed the USD for the first time.” In other transactions, the currency’s progress may be masked. For example, “the Bank for International Settlements reveals that, in 2022, the USD remained the most-used currency for FX settlements. The euro and the Japanese yen came in second and third, respectively.” However, “the Chinese renminbi, though accounting for a relatively small share of FX transactions, gained the most ground over the last decade. Meanwhile, the euro and the yen saw decreases in use.”
Tags: BIS, China, Cross-border payments, De-Dollarization, euro, FX, Japan, Renminbi, RMB, Settlements, Transactions, USD, Yen
Equities News (March 28)
“The petrodollar was born” in 1975. When OPEC members exclusively adopted the dollar for pricing, it “had the immediate effect of strengthening the U.S. dollar,” with the greenback becoming “the world’s reserve currency, a status formerly enjoyed by the British pound, French franc and Dutch guilder.” Today, however, “we may be witnessing the end of the petrodollar as more and more countries, including China and Russia, are agreeing to make settlements in currencies other than the U.S. dollar. This could have wide-ranging implications on not just a macro scale but also investment portfolios.”
Tags: 1975, China, Currencies, Franc, Greenback, Guilder, Implications, Macro scale, OPEC, Petrodollar, Pound, Reserve currency, Russia, Settlements, Strengthening, U.S.
Institutional Investor (April 26)
The Saudi Stock Exchange, known as the Tadawul, has “sped up its transaction cycle and introduced new trade options in a bid at international capital.” It has adopted the T+2 settlements now common in Europe. (The U.S. still takes three days to settle transactions, but is scheduled to adopt T+2 this September). Tadawul also “introduced securities borrowing and lending as well as covered short selling.” Currently ranked #23, the Tadawul hopes moves like these and the launch of a REIT market will help it attract more investment.
Tags: Europe, Options, REIT, Saudi Arabia, Securities, Settlements, T+2, Tadawul, Transaction cycle, U.S.
