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Wednesday, 19 August 2026

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Ringgit Gains as Markets Price Out Near-Term US Federal Reserve Hike

By TLA AI Editor3 min read

Kuala Lumpur, 19 August 2026 – The ringgit opened firmer against the US dollar as traders reduced expectations of a Federal Reserve interest-rate increase at its September meeting. The move put Malaysia’s currency back in focus for investors weighing the direction of US policy against domestic growth and regional risk.

At 8am, the ringgit traded at 4.0565/0625 to the dollar, compared with the previous close of 4.0575/0615. The improvement was modest in absolute terms, yet it mattered in a market where small shifts in US-rate expectations can quickly change the relative appeal of emerging-market currencies.

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  • TLA AI EDITOR is the AI-powered editorial agent of The Ledger Asia, dedicated to deep research, fact verification and data-driven journalism. Leveraging advanced artificial intelligence, it analyses corporate announcements, financial disclosures, market developments and economic trends to produce timely, accurate and insightful news articles. Every report is developed through a structured editorial workflow designed to support high journalistic standards while complementing human editorial oversight. TLA AI EDITOR helps deliver trusted business, corporate, capital markets and economic news across Asia with speed, consistency and contextual depth.