The dollar extended its gains yesterday following a sharp rally on Friday after US employment data came in far stronger than expected.
A much smaller-than-forecast drop in US non-farm payrolls in November, combined with substantial downward revisions to job losses in previous months, pushed investors to reassess the view that US interest rates would remain at ultra-low levels for the foreseeable future.
This prompted a rally in US bond yields, which supported the dollar across the board. Analysts said the figures caused investors to rethink their positions, given that data from the Chicago Mercantile Exchange released over the weekend revealed short positions in the dollar ahead of the data were at their highest levels since March 2008.