Stories related to: currency

Oil climbed over $125 a barrel today, just ahead of the US driving season and propelled by investors jumping at a weaker dollar, the AP reports. Light, sweet crude for June rose to $125.98 on the New York Mercantile Exchange today, later dropping to $124.86 in Europe. More »

Like many 10-year-olds, the euro has had its ups and downs, but its current ascendancy is worrying, and not just to fans of the weakening dollar; some European states are chafing at the strength of their common currency, the New York Times reports. The German economic engine is causing high prices and ballooning debt in countries such as Greece, Italy, Spain, and Portugal. More »

Spinner dolphins had better watch out—their pearly whites are again a fast-growing currency in the South Pacific, the Wall Street Journal reports. Economic troubles in the Solomon Islands have caused many to return to the traditional trading chip. “Dolphin teeth are like gold,” says the governor of the nation's central bank. "You keep them as a store of wealth.” More »

The Group of Seven's finance ministers are getting more aggressive about stopping the greenback's decline, the Wall Street Journal reports. In what counts as blunt words for the group, a statement yesterday expressed concern about the plummeting dollar's "possible implications for economic and financial stability." The change in tone since the group's last meeting a year ago is aimed at sending a signal to traders; the ministers stopped short of using G-7 money to buy up dollars to push the currency upward. More »

Britons are making more per capita than Americans for the first time since the 19th century, a new GDP report finds. Brits are earning $46,323 a year on average, $500 more than their US counterparts, according to Oxford Economics. The Yanks are still ahead when it comes to purchasing power because goods and services are more affordable in the US. More »

After a year that saw the dollar slip to record lows against the euro and its weakest position in decades, the worst might be over for the beleaguered greenback. A survey of 42 strategists by Bloomberg found nearly unanimous consensus that the dollar is set for a gain, with a median prediction of a 3.5% rise against the euro, to $1.40, in 2008. More »

Vanuatu, a former Anglo-French colony once called the world's happiest country, is de-emphasizing cash in favor of traditional forms of exchange: shells, necklaces, grass mats, and pigs. The Telegraph travels to the South Pacific, where Vanuatu's government decreed a "Year of the Traditional Economy," encouraging citizens to reject consumerism and embrace alternative understandings of wealth. More »

Federal agents raided the Indiana headquarters of a so-called "sound money" group this week, seizing nearly 60,000 "Ron Paul Dollars"—copper coins bearing the likeness of the renegade Texan congressman, GOP candidate for president and sound-money advocate. The organization has more than $20 million in illegal private currency, dubbed Liberty Dollars, in circulation; they're said to be backed by silver and gold stored in Idaho, the Washington Post reports. More »

Gisele Bundchen, who pulled in $33M in front of the camera this year, doesn't like the looks of the dollar. Following the lead of billionaires Warren Buffett and Bill Gross, the world's richest model is asking to be paid in some other currency, usually the euro. “We don't know what will happen to the dollar,'' commented Patricia Bundchen, the model’s twin and manager. More »

It hurts when even a dollar-friendly country like Canada is giving your green the cold shoulder. Get your money's worth in these countries from foXnoMad : Morocco Thailand Mexico More »

Even as the weakening US dollar has Americans dropping European vacation plans, some economists are finding a silver lining: A sudden upswing in exports that could help offset the tanking housing market. And while that jump was predictable, writes the Wall Street Journal, a limp greenback also works to slow one vital export: that of American jobs and factories. More »

When you pull out a $5 bill next spring, you'll still see Honest Abe—but you'll also see a bunch of purple and gray, some big number fives, and new watermarks and security threads. Sick of pesky counterfeiters bleaching the fiver and turning it into a C-note, the feds unveiled the redesigned bill today, the AP reports. More »

The dollar dropped to a record low against the euro in early Asian trading on Thursday, breaking the $1.40 barrier for the first time since the establishment of the common currency. The Fed's half-point cut in interest rates led investors to drop the greenback, and chief Ben Bernanke's upcoming testimony before Congress might spell further trouble. More »

After years of decline, the American dollar has reasserted itself in the face of the worldwide credit crunch. The dollar has rallied against the euro and the pound as banks and investors drop hazardous financial instruments and hold cash, Bloomberg reports, making the implication clear: For all its woes, the dollar remains the world's unrivaled reserve currency. More »

The British pound climbed against the dollar today to a level not seen since June 1981, nudging past $2.02 before closing at $2.0136. The third consecutive trading session with a 26-year high came as the UK braced for a interest rate hike and the US braced for an extended stay by the $2 pound. More »

A cluster of towns in Western Massachusetts has created its own currency—BerkShares. The banknotes, which trade for 90 cents on the dollar, feature local heroes like Norman Rockwell and are accepted as cash at 280 cafés, shops, and even the local "chakra balancing" joint.  More »

Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson has denied congressional requests for a formal accusation of currency manipulation against China, the Wall Street Journal reports. China's tight restrictions have kept the yuan artificially low against the dollar for decades, but recent record highs, combined with signs that Beijing may plan to let up on currency controls, have helped reduce tension. More »

Talks between American and Chinese economic officials thudded to a close today, offering mild changes to the financial sector in lieu of major currency reform. The deal hammered out by Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson and China's vice-premier Wu Yi promise foreign financial companies more access to Chinese markets and allows American investors to purchase larger amounts of Chinese stock. More »

Just days before a meeting with US Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, China is taking baby steps toward letting its currency trade more freely. The government also raised interest rates and the reserve on bank loans today, signaling concern over the country's red-hot economy. China's trade surplus—which some American politicos say the undervalued yuan fuels—rose 74% last year. More »

The British pound hit a 26-year-high against the dollar this morning, triggering inflationary fears there as it pushed past $2 for the first time since Margaret Thatcher's early reign. As  inflation figures spiked to 3.1% in March—the highest  in 10 years—the middle class got hit the hardest, the Daily Telegraph reports. More »