Malaysian Ringgit Weakens Against US Dollar Amid Fed Rate Fears
The Malaysian ringgit declined against the US dollar on November 13 as investors anticipated a Federal Reserve monetary policy tightening in December.
The Malaysian ringgit weakened against the US dollar during Friday morning trading on November 13, 2026. At 8 a.m., the currency eased to 4.0780/4.0840 from a previous close of 4.0765/4.0805. This decline followed a rise in the US Dollar Index to 103.198 points, driven by investor expectations that the Federal Reserve System will tighten monetary policy at its December meeting.
Market pressure was further compounded by a 3.27% increase in Brent crude oil prices, which reached US$95.79 a barrel and signaled persistent inflationary pressures. These factors outweighed negative US economic indicators, including a 5.5% contraction in existing home sales and an increase in initial jobless claims to 200,000.
Despite the loss against the US dollar, the ringgit strengthened against several major currencies and ASEAN peers, including the euro, British pound, Japanese yen, Singapore dollar, and Thai baht. It remained flat against the Indonesian rupiah and Philippine peso.
