Investing.com - The dollar was broadly lower against the other major currencies Friday, as risk appetite strengthened ahead of the year end, although Thursday's upbeat U.S. jobless claims data still lent some support to the greenback.
During European morning trade, EUR/USD climbed 0.79% to 1.3799.
The greenback strengthened on Thursday after the U.S. Department of Labor said that the number of individuals filing for initial jobless benefits declined by 42,000 to a seasonally adjusted 338,000 last week. Analysts had expected U.S. jobless claims to fall by 35,000 to 345,000 from the previous week’s revised total of 380,000, which was the highest since March.
The upbeat data added to the view that the U.S. economy will be strong enough to allow the Federal Reserve to continue withdrawing stimulus through 2014.
The pound was higher against the dollar, with GBP/USD up 0.47% to 1.6487.
Elsewhere, the greenback was near five-year highs against the yen, with USD/JPY up 0.03% to 104.83 and lower against the Swiss franc, with USD/CHF tumbling 1% to 0.8873.
Official data earlier showed that household spending in Japan fell 0.2% in November, compared to a year earlier, after a 0.9% rise in October. Analysts had expected household spending to increase by 1.7% last month.
A separate report showed that Tokyo's core consumer price inflation, which excludes fresh food, rose at an annualized rate of 0.7% in December, in line with expectations, after a 0.6% rise the previous month.
Preliminary government data also showed that industrial production in Japan ticked up 0.1% last month, confounding expectations for a 0.4% increase, after a 1% rise in October.
In addition, data showed that Japan's retail sales rose 4% in November, compared to a year earlier, above expectations for a 2.9% gain. October's retail sales rose 2.3%.
The greenback was lower against the Australian, New Zealand and Canadian dollars, with AUD/USD up 0.26% to 0.8919, NZD/USD adding 0.23% to 0.8184 and USD/CAD down 0.08% to 1.0640.
The U.S. dollar index, which tracks the performance of the greenback versus a basket of six other major currencies, was down 0.61% to 80.18.
Trading volumes were expected to remain light, with no major U.S. data to be released throughout the day.
During European morning trade, EUR/USD climbed 0.79% to 1.3799.
The greenback strengthened on Thursday after the U.S. Department of Labor said that the number of individuals filing for initial jobless benefits declined by 42,000 to a seasonally adjusted 338,000 last week. Analysts had expected U.S. jobless claims to fall by 35,000 to 345,000 from the previous week’s revised total of 380,000, which was the highest since March.
The upbeat data added to the view that the U.S. economy will be strong enough to allow the Federal Reserve to continue withdrawing stimulus through 2014.
The pound was higher against the dollar, with GBP/USD up 0.47% to 1.6487.
Elsewhere, the greenback was near five-year highs against the yen, with USD/JPY up 0.03% to 104.83 and lower against the Swiss franc, with USD/CHF tumbling 1% to 0.8873.
Official data earlier showed that household spending in Japan fell 0.2% in November, compared to a year earlier, after a 0.9% rise in October. Analysts had expected household spending to increase by 1.7% last month.
A separate report showed that Tokyo's core consumer price inflation, which excludes fresh food, rose at an annualized rate of 0.7% in December, in line with expectations, after a 0.6% rise the previous month.
Preliminary government data also showed that industrial production in Japan ticked up 0.1% last month, confounding expectations for a 0.4% increase, after a 1% rise in October.
In addition, data showed that Japan's retail sales rose 4% in November, compared to a year earlier, above expectations for a 2.9% gain. October's retail sales rose 2.3%.
The greenback was lower against the Australian, New Zealand and Canadian dollars, with AUD/USD up 0.26% to 0.8919, NZD/USD adding 0.23% to 0.8184 and USD/CAD down 0.08% to 1.0640.
The U.S. dollar index, which tracks the performance of the greenback versus a basket of six other major currencies, was down 0.61% to 80.18.
Trading volumes were expected to remain light, with no major U.S. data to be released throughout the day.