NEW YORK (Reuters) - The U.S. dollar index (=USD) rose modestly on Wednesday morning after Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell delivered remarks in which he said an "extended period" of weak growth may be in store for the United States, while also rejecting the idea of using negative interest rates as a stimulative tool.
Though the index was still lower on the day, it was last down 0.10% to 99.9. Prior to Powell's speech it was down about 0.43% on the day. On Wednesday morning, the dollar was attracting safe-haven interest, as investors shed riskier assets in their portfolio, including U.S. stocks.