The euro hovered around $1.164, close to a six-week low, amid optimism over a potential US-Iran peace deal and reduced expectations for ECB rate hikes. Investors continue to monitor Middle East developments, encouraged by the recent lack of negative signals from both sides and persistent hopes that an agreement to ease tensions and reopen the Strait of Hormuz remains possible despite recent strikes. Money markets now expect the ECB deposit rate to reach 2.6% by December, up from the current 2% but below last week’s 2.75% projection, with an 80% chance of a rate hike next month. Meanwhile, ECB official Isabel Schnabel told Reuters the central bank should still raise interest rates in June even if a peace deal is reached, citing the scale and persistence of the energy shock.
