Morgan Stanley’s Dim US Greenback Outlook Will get Darker as Financial Dangers Mount

(Bloomberg) — The greenback is already having its worst begin to a yr for the reason that world monetary disaster triggered a US recession, and Morgan Stanley & Co. sees extra bother forward for the foreign money as fears in regards to the well being of the economic system develop.

The chance of a federal authorities shutdown, slowing US development, and rising asset values overseas are all set to pull the greenback decrease within the lead as much as President Donald Trump’s April 2 tariff deadline, the financial institution’s macro strategists warned purchasers Thursday. A Bloomberg gauge of the greenback’s well being has slumped greater than 3% up to now in 2025, the measure’s worst year-to-date efficiency since 2008.

“Components that had been seen as boosting US development are actually seen as doubtlessly weighing on US development,” strategists together with Matthew Hornbach and Andrew Watrous wrote in a word. “The prospect of a near-term US authorities shutdown might additional weigh on the greenback broadly as traders estimate the implications for development and future fiscal coverage.”

Morgan Stanley’s bearish view on the greenback has stood out on Wall Avenue since late final yr, when many banks had been predicting continued energy within the foreign money. To date in 2025 the financial institution’s thesis has been borne out.

A slide in US bond yields as merchants wager on extra Federal Reserve interest-rate cuts this yr — coupled with softer financial information and confusion surrounding the brand new administration’s commerce insurance policies — has underpinned the buck’s flip of fortune since January.

Buyers are intently watching spending deliberations within the US Congress forward of the upcoming closure of the federal authorities on Saturday, with Senate Democratic chief Chuck Schumer saying on Wednesday that his get together would block a Republican spending invoice.

Since January, the agency has really useful going lengthy the euro, pound and yen — all three of which have risen sharply towards the greenback in current weeks. On Thursday, Morgan Stanley up to date the targets on these commerce suggestions to incorporate:

• Lengthy yen focusing on a roughly 2% transfer from present ranges to 145

• Lengthy euro focusing on a roughly 3% rise to 1.12

• Lengthy pound focusing on a virtually 3% acquire to 1.33

The yen has strengthened round 6.5% versus the greenback up to now in 2025, outpacing practically all the US foreign money’s main friends as traders wager on tighter financial coverage from the Financial institution of Japan — in sharp distinction to the easing cycles presently underway at different central banks, together with the Federal Reserve.