Investing.com -- The euro fell sharply against the dollar on Monday, as the price of Greek bonds plummeted amid renewed concerns of the beleaguered nation's potential departure from the European Union and default on its sovereign debt.
EUR/USD fell 0.0134 or 1.17% to 1.1315, representing its largest one-day decline in nearly two months. The pair dipped to a session-low of 1.1299, dropping below 1.13 for the first time in five sessions, before rebounding slightly in U.S. afternoon trading. Earlier, EUR/USD reached a session-high of 1.1450 in overnight trading.
The pair likely gained support at 1.1065 the low from May 5 and was met with resistance at 1.1467 the high from May 15.
An end game in tense, prolonged negotiations between Greece and its troika of creditors might be in sight, as Athens officials insisted on Monday that it would like to reach a deal deemed necessary to stave off bankruptcy by the end of the month. Greece appears on the verge of running out of money after it was forced to raid an emergency holding account last week to repay a EUR 750 million loan to the International Monetary Fund. Greek government officials admitted they would not have enough to make a EUR 650 salary payment to government workers due on Wednesday had they not resorted to using the emergency funds last week.
Meanwhile, a defiant Greek finance minister Yanis Varoufakis told news broadcast Ston Eniko on Monday evening that he would prefer to default on further obligations to the IMF, than fail to meet salary and pension payments to Greek municipal workers. A plethora of bondholders abandoned their positions in Greece 10-year bonds, as the yields soared nearly 290 basis points to 23.99% -- its largest one-day gain in more than a month.
Yields on U.S. 10-Year Treasuries increased by roughly nine basis points to 2.23%, while yields on U.S. 30-Year Treasuries rose by more than 10 basis points to move above 3% at 3.03. Yields on German 10-Year bunds continued to tick upward, rising two basis points to 0.65%.
In the U.S., the National Association of Home Builders' (NAHB) confidence index dropped two points to 54 in May – marking the fourth monthly decline in the last five months. Analysts expected the index to tick up by a point to 57, as builders emerge from a rough quarter in the winter when harsh weather tamped down on sales. The index is still up nine points on a year-over-year basis from a 45 reading last May. Any reading over 50, however, is viewed as a signal that builders are highly confident in the current condition of the housing market. The NAHB index has remained over 50 since last July.
Elsewhere, Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago president Charles Evans reiterated that while the Fed could still consider an interest rate hike in June if the economy is trending upward he doesn't recommend raising rates until the start of 2016. Speaking at the Swedbank Conference in Stockholm, Evans argued that the Fed should aim to "overshoot" its targeted goal of 2% inflation on an annual basis. For years, Evans has been regarded as one of the most dovish members of the Federal Open Market Committee.
The U.S. Dollar Index, which measures the strength of the greenback, versus a basket of six other major currencies, gained nearly 1% to reach a three-week high at 94.21.