The Mexican peso appreciated against the dollar on Tuesday, recovering during a day of erratic movements despite market concerns over the latest escalation in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Investors were also closely monitoring developments in Donald Trump’s prospective cabinet.
The exchange rate closed at 20.1136 pesos per dollar, according to the official data from the Bank of Mexico (Banxico). Compared to Monday’s reference rate of 20.2028 pesos per dollar (unavailable from Banxico due to a holiday), the peso strengthened by 8.92 cents, or 0.44%. During the session, the dollar traded within a range of 20.3433 pesos at its peak and 20.0638 pesos at its low.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Dollar Index (DXY), which measures the greenback against six major currencies, edged lower by 0.07%, settling at 106.20 points.
USD/MXN
Market Focus
Traders are paying close attention to the formation of President-elect Donald Trump’s cabinet, particularly the appointment of the Treasury Secretary. Today, reports surfaced that Trump is considering businessman Howard Lutnick to lead the Department of Commerce.
Lutnick, an executive at Wall Street firm Cantor Fitzgerald, supports Trump’s vision of revitalizing manufacturing jobs in the U.S. and promoting the use of cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin in the world’s largest economy.
Earlier in the session, the peso briefly weakened, reaching a high of 20.3433 pesos per dollar, reflecting a 0.70% decline. This was driven by market pessimism regarding riskier currencies due to the escalating conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
With U.S. President Joe Biden’s approval, Ukraine launched a long-range missile attack against Russia. In response, Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that the use of such weapons could signify direct involvement by the United States and its allies.