KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 27 — The ringgit opened slightly higher against the US dollar today, supported by mild buying interest following recent gains, although a stronger greenback capped further upside, an analyst said.
At 8 am, the local currency rose to 4.0235/0305 against the greenback from Wednesday’s close of 4.0240/0280.
Bank Muamalat Malaysia Bhd chief economist Mohd Afzanizam Abdul Rashid said US economic indicators released last night appeared to suggest that the economy remained fairly resilient in the third quarter of 2026.
Data showed that personal income rose 0.4 per cent month-on-month in July, while personal spending increased by 0.2 per cent and durable goods orders climbed 1.1 per cent.
“Above all, the personal consumption expenditures (PCE) inflation rate, which is the Federal Reserve’s preferred inflation gauge, rose by 3.7 per cent year-on-year in July.
“The US Dollar Index (DXY) rallied following the release of the data, with the index hovering around 99.165 points, 0.25 per cent higher than the previous close,” he told Bernama.
Mohd Afzanizam expects the ringgit to trade between RM4.03 and RM4.06 against the US dollar today.
At the opening, the ringgit traded higher against a basket of major currencies.
It strengthened against the Japanese yen to 2.5264/5309 from 2.5308/5335 at Wednesday’s close, rose against the British pound to 5.4704/4799 from 5.4827/4882 and gained against the euro to 4.6894/6975 from 4.6940/6987 previously.
The local currency also traded mostly higher against regional currencies.
It edged up against the Singapore dollar to 3.1646/1704 from 3.1683/1717 at yesterday’s close and strengthened against the Thai baht to 12.2668/2945 from 12.2791/2959.
The ringgit was unchanged against the Indonesian rupiah and Philippine peso at 227.0/227.4 and 6.52/6.54, respectively.
