KUALA LUMPUR: The ringgit opened lower against the US dollar on Friday, as mixed signals from the US economy and financial markets weighed on the greenback's outlook.
At 8 am, the local note eased to 4.0450/4.0520 against the greenback from Thursday’s close of 4.0445/4.0490.
Bank Muamalat Malaysia Bhd chief economist Afzanizam Rashid said the US Dollar Index (DXY) edged up 0.03% to 101.60, supported by signs of resilience in the US labour market.
He said the labour market indicator, such as initial jobless claims, fell further to 189,000 last week, suggesting the US labour market remained healthy.
