* Powell expected to reiterate it's too soon for taper talk
* Riskier currencies benefit as IMF upgrades growth forecast
* Graphic: World FX rates https://tmsnrt.rs/2RBWI5E
By Kevin Buckland
TOKYO, Jan 27 (Reuters) – The dollar was trapped on the back foot against major peers on Wednesday as markets wait on comments from Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, who is likely to renew a commitment to ultra-easy policy. greenback held declines against riskier currencies, with pandemic recovery hopes getting a boost as the International Monetary Fund upgraded its forecast for 2021 global growth. yields, whose rise had supported the dollar at the start of this year, declined overnight amid caution about the eventual size of and potential delays to President Joe Biden's $1.9 trillion fiscal stimulus plan. stronger the world economic outlook, the weaker the U.S. dollar,” said Joseph Capurso, currency analyst at Commonwealth Bank of Australia in Sydney.
“Powell is going to make clear that they don't see any near-term exit from their very easy policy stance, and that's going to pull the dollar down.”
Powell is due to speak at a news conference after the Fed's two-day policy meeting that ends Wednesday.
Traders are also keenly watching progress on the U.S. stimulus front after Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said Democrats may try to pass much of the President's massive spending package with a majority vote, but it is not clear if they have the numbers to override Republican objections. =USD was little changed at 90.172 early in the Asian session, holding Tuesday's 0.2% decline.
The greenback traded at 103.61 yen , little changed after a 0.1% slide overnight.
The euro was mostly flat at $1.21625 after rising around 0.1% in the previous session.
The riskier Aussie dollar gained 0.1% to 77.51 U.S. cents, adding to Tuesday's 0.5% rally.
The British pound climbed as high as $1.3753 for the first time since May 2018 on Thursday, before trading 0.1% higher at $1.3746.
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Currency bid prices at 9:16AM (016 GMT) Description
RIC
Last
U.S. Close Pct Change
YTD Pct
High Bid
Low Bid
Previous
Change
Session
Euro/Dollar
EUR=EBS
$1.2166
$1.2160
+0.05%
-0.42%
+1.2167
+1.2160 Dollar/Yen
JPY=D3
103.6020
103.6450
+0.00%
+0.34%
+103.6300 +0.0000 Euro/Yen
EURJPY=
126.05
125.99
+0.05%
-0.69%
+126.0700 +126.0100 Dollar/Swiss
CHF=EBS
0.8864
0.8869
-0.02%
+0.23%
+0.8868
+0.8867 Sterling/Dollar GBP=D3
1.3742
1.3735
+0.07%
+0.60%
+1.3742
+1.3737 Dollar/Canadian CAD=D3
1.2689
1.2695
-0.02%
-0.32%
+1.2694
+1.2693 Aussie/Dollar
AUD=D3
0.7754
0.7748
+0.10%
+0.82%
+0.7755
+0.7743 NZ
NZD=D3
0.7240
0.7239
+0.04%
+0.85%
+0.7240
+0.7232 Dollar/Dollar
All spots FX= Tokyo spots AFX= Europe spots EFX= Volatilities FXVOL= Tokyo Forex market info from BOJ TKYFX
https://tmsnrt.rs/2RBWI5E
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