MARKET NEWS

Summary

• Slew of Fed speakers on deck this week
• Dollar firm, sterling falls to two-week low
• China leaves benchmark lending rates unchanged

SINGAPORE, Sept 22 (Reuters) - The dollar was steady on Monday as traders looked ahead to a slew of speeches from Federal Reserve officials throughout the week that could provide further clues on the U.S. rate outlook, after the central bank resumed its easing cycle last week.
Currency moves in the Asia session were more subdued after a volatile ride last week following a raft of rate decisions including that of the Fed, the Bank of England (BoE) and the Bank of Japan (BOJ).

The yen was last 0.2% lower at 148.26 per dollar, paring its gains from Friday after a hawkish shift in the BOJ's rhetoric raised the prospect of a near-term rate hike.

Sterling , meanwhile, fell to a two-week low of $1.3453, pressured by domestic headwinds after a surge in UK public borrowing and a BoE rate decision that laid bare the challenge for policymakers in balancing growth and inflation.

"We have pushed our forecast for the next move into 2026," Jane Foley, head of FX strategy at Rabobank, said of the BoE's next expected cut.