Ringgit Ends Sharply Lower Against US Dollar

By Siti Radziah Hamzah KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 9 (Bernama) -- The ringgit finished sharply lower on Wednesday as the oil market lost its strength amid Donald Trump's shock victory in the US presidential election Wednesday, said a dealer. At 6 pm, the local unit was traded at 4.2240/2300 against the US dollar from 4.2000/2050 on Tuesday. The dealer said the ringgit's weakness was also in tandem with most emerging Asian currencies. Meanwhile, Inter-Pacific Securities Sdn Bhd research head Pong Teng Siew said the ringgit is unlikely to fall further in the near term. "Oil has gone as low as I thought it could at US$44 per barrel today (Wednesday), and I don't think it can go a lot further. At most it's US$40, but I don't expect it to revisit below US$40 again," he told Bernama. International benchmark Brent crude oil eased 47 cents to US$45.57 a barrel. The ringgit was also traded lower against other major currencies. The local note declined the British pound to 5.2340/2427 from 5.2177/2260 on Tuesday and depreciated against the euro to 4.6679/6754 from 4.6402/6465 Tuesday. It went down against the Singapore dollar to 3.0345/0392 from Tuesday's 3.0225/0267 and reduced against the yen to 4.0808/0877 from 4.0188/0239. -- BERNAMA