Ringgit gains momentum, beating dollar, euro and pound as crude oil worries fade

The ringgit strengthened against the US dollar and other major currencies at Friday’s close, buoyed by improved market sentiment following easing concerns over crude oil supply. — File picture by Shafwan Zaidon

First Published: Friday, 18 Sep 2026 7:01 PM MYT

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 18 — The ringgit strengthened against the US dollar and other major currencies at Friday’s close, buoyed by improved market sentiment following easing concerns over crude oil supply, an analyst said.

At 6pm, the local currency rose to 4.0795/0840 versus the greenback from Thursday’s close of 4.0965/1010.

Bank Muamalat Malaysia Bhd chief economist Dr Mohd Afzanizam Abdul Rashid said Brent crude prices fell on expectations of improving conditions in the Strait of Hormuz.

“This followed Saudi Arabia’s move to restore the damaged East-West pipeline. At the same time, some tankers have continued to traverse the Straits of Hormuz,” he told Bernama.

At the close, the ringgit gained against the euro to 4.6849/6901 from Thursday’s close of 4.7003/7055, rose versus the Japanese yen to 2.5829/5860 from 2.6305/6336 yesterday, and advanced vis-a-vis the British pound to 5.4543/4603 from 5.4877/4937 previously.

The local note also traded higher against its Asean peers.

The ringgit inched up versus the Singapore dollar to 3.1933/1971 from 3.2099/2137 at yesterday’s close and improved against the Thai baht to 12.2383/2562 from 12.2734/2917 previously.

It also appreciated vis-à-vis the Philippine peso to 6.50/6.51 from 6.53/6.54 yesterday and climbed versus the Indonesian rupiah to 229.7/230.0 from 230.7/231.1. — Bernama