The Ringgit's Rally Isn't Really About Malaysia

The ringgit has firmed against the US dollar in recent weeks, from around RM4.09 in mid-August to roughly RM4.03 — but how much of that is a Malaysia story, and how much is simply a softer greenback ahead of Jackson Hole? Against the yuan the picture reverses: the ringgit has slipped since May, with one ringgit now buying about 1.67 yuan, down from 1.73 — and China is still our largest trading partner. We look at what could carry this appreciation into September and what might reverse it quickly, how the ringgit is tracking against the Singapore and Australian dollars, and whether it has earned the label of Asian outperformer. We also touch on the yen after this month's joint US-Japan intervention, and which Asian currencies have the most upside from here. We speak to Stephen Chiu, Chief Emerging Markets FX Strategist at Bloomberg Intelligence.Image Credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.