The Jamaican dollar recorded further gains on the first trading day of July and closed Monday with the selling rate of J$128.50 for one US dollar down from J$128.62 it ended June at. Inflows into the local foreign exchange market generated US$51 million in all currencies while US$46 million was sold to the public.
In USA dollar trading, inflows into the system ended at US$46 million while selling amounted to US$41 million. Inflows are slightly ahead of those for the first Monday in June but outflows are up a bit for the United States currency as well as for all currencies traded.
The selling rate for the Canadian dollar dipped to J$98.94 compared to J$99.39 at the close on Friday while the British Pound cost slightly less at the close on Friday with J$166.39 buying the British currency versus J$166.58 on Friday and the Jamaican dollar also gained value against the euro, with it taking J$ 146.61 to buy the European common currency on Friday versus Friday’s J$147.94.
Jamaican$ gains more ground
A
uthorised and Cambios dealers sold the United States dollar on Tuesday for less Jamaican dollars than they did on Monday as well as on Wednesday.
On Tuesday, they sold US$36.57 million at an average rate of $128.89, 4 cents lower than on Monday and on Wednesday they sold US$42.62 million at $128.81, the lowest for the Month. The latest movement of the local currency, continues a daily rise in value since the start of June, with the exception of one day.
The traded selling rate for the United States dollar is still some distance off from the lowest amount of Jamaican dollar required to purchase one US dollar of JS$127.93 reached on February 13, this year.
Dealers bought the United States currency at an average of J$128.25 on Tuesday and at 128.16 on Wednesday. The Canadian dollar was sold to the public at 26 cents less than on Tuesday while the British Pound and the Euro selling price rose by JS$2.16 each.
Overall, total foreign exchange of all currencies entering the market totaled US$60.92 million on Tuesday with US$45.76 million sold and on Wednesday the equivalent of US$57.39 was bought by dealers and US$51.32 was sold. In US dollar trading US$52.17 was bought on Tuesday with US$36.57 being sold while Wednesday saw buying of US$49.53 with selling of US$42.62.
J$ revaluation on the way
The value of the Jamaican dollar continues to appreciate in June, with the selling rate of the US dollar falling to J$129.21 at the close on Wednesday, down from J$130.14 at the close on the last day of the May.
The rate for the local dollar has appreciated on every day of the month except for a 1 cent rise on the 14th.
Helping with the fall in the value of the US dollar against the local currency is net inflows in each week of June. In the first full week of June, ending on the 9th net inflows into the system were US$21 million equivalent and for the US dollar $14 million, the second week, US$8.5 million and US$5 million respectively and so far of the third week, USS$17 million and US$20 million respectively.
Jamaican dollar gains value
Up to the end of foreign exchange trading on Monday, Jamaica enjoyed a surplus of US$157 million for January. On Monday the central bank reported net inflows US$3.9 million with the selling rates for the main currencies for the Jamaican dollar gaining but for the euro.
At the close of the market, dealers bought the equivalent of US$39,284,459 of all currencies and sold just US$35,398,981, compared to US$50,312,663 purchased and US$32,969,840 sold on Friday.
In US dollar trading, dealers bought US$35,900,623 compared to US$47,964,301 on Friday. The buying rate for the US dollar fell 33 cents to close at $127.52. A total of US$33,452,927 was sold versus US$32,074,678 on Friday, with the selling rate falling by a much smaller level than for purchases with
a fall of 7 cents to $128.35. The Canadian dollar buying rate fell 87 cents to $93.98, with dealers buying C$1,471,931 and selling C$964,733 at an average rate that lost 15 cents to end at $97.75. The average rate for buying the British Pound fell 31 cents to $158.02 for the purchase of £1,694,767 while £852,079 was sold with a decline of 60 cents, to end at $159.90.
At the end of trading on Monday, dealers sold €124,122, with the selling rate for the Euro, closing with a gain of 6 cents to $136.91, according to data from Bank of Jamaica. Dealers purchased €173,210 of the European common currency at $136.85 after rising $2.47. The US dollar equivalent
of other currencies traded, amounts to US$21,471 being bought and selling of US$17,304.
Highs & Lows| Notable changes to the highest and lowest rates for the regularly traded foreign currencies on Monday, include a drop in the lowest selling rate of the US dollar by $1.35 to $121.65. The highest buying rate for the British Pound fell $2.62 to $161.20 while the lowest selling rate rose $3 to $155. The highest selling rate for the Euro rose $6.70 to $146.30 and the lowest selling rate rose $2 to $132.
The selling rate for the Canadian dollar rose to J$99.39 compared to J$99.07 at the close on Thursday while the British Pound cost slightly more at the close on Thursday with J$166.58 buying the British currency versus J$165.40 on Thursday and the Jamaican dollar lost value against the euro, with it taking J$147.94 to buy the European common currency on Friday versus Thursday’s J$146.66.
Authorised and cambio dealers sold US$10 million more than they bought on Thursday, an amount similar to the amount the central bank sold in their first monthly auction of US dollars trading, on Wednesday.
The average exchange rate for the US dollar offered by Bank of Jamaica in the B‐FXITT PILOT sale of foreign exchange ended at $128.76 with 41 bids received from eligible Authorised Dealers and Cambios by Jamaica’s central bank, covering US$16.82 million chasing US$10 million offered by the Central Bank on Wednesday, 28 June.
All ADs and eligible cambios will be invited to submit bids to purchase FX from Bank of Jamaica at exchange rates that they specify. The Bank will publish a report from each operation on the same day, including the weighted average exchange rate arising from the operation, and will also introduce the publication of midday weighted average exchange rates. The Bank may also sell foreign exchange to ADs and eligible cambios outside of this weekly schedule if circumstances merit.
Foreign exchange trading on Thursday saw the equivalent of US$42.7 million entering the market and US$39.6 million being sold, bringing the surplus for the week to date to US$20.2 million.