The dollar index eased slightly to around 102.7 on Monday as traders continued to assess the economic and monetary policy outlook globally, while keeping an eye on Europe where Russia saw a brief rebellion by a paramilitary group over the weekend. Data also showed that US private sector activity slowed to a three-month low in June amid a deepening contraction in the manufacturing sector. Meanwhile, the index gained about half a percent last week, snapping a three-week decline as aggressive monetary tightening and hawkish messaging by major central banks stoked fears of a global economic slowdown, driving safe-haven demand for the dollar. Fed Chair Jerome Powell said last week that further rate increases are likely ahead as inflation remains too high, while central banks in Europe hiked rates by a larger-than-expected margin.
