Dollar to Rise Against Emerging Markets, Morgan Stanley Says

By Jamie McGee

July 4 (Bloomberg) -- The U.S. dollar will appreciate against most emerging market currencies as their economies are hurt by rising energy prices, according to a Morgan Stanley.

The dollar will also strengthen to $1.53 against the euro by year-end and $1.40 by the end of 2009, Morgan Stanley's chief currency strategist Stephen Jen wrote. The research note was released yesterday after the European Central Bank's quarter- percentage point increase in its benchmark loan rate to 4.25 percent. Jen also forecast the dollar will trade at 97 yen by January and at 110 by the end of 2009.

``While the dollar may remain somewhat vulnerable against the euro in the near term, we continue to believe that the dollar is grossly under-valued and should perform better over the longer term against the majors,'' London-based Jen said. ``It is the oil price issue that will likely cause the emerging- market dominos to topple over. Euroland will likely follow.''

Crude oil rose above $145 a barrel yesterday to a record amid signs global demand for fuels, particularly from China, may strain supplies.

The euro fell the most against the dollar in more than two months after Trichet signaled that he may not increase interest rates again. The euro dropped 1.1 percent to $1.5703 yesterday in New York, from $1.5882 on July 2. The dollar appreciated 0.8 percent to 106.73 yen, from 105.91.

To contact the reporter on this story: Jamie McGee in New York at jmcgee8@bloomberg.net