Investing.com - The dollar remained slightly lower against most other major currencies on Friday, even as data showed that U.S. consumer sentiment improved at the fastest rate since January 2007.
In a preliminary report, the University of Michigan said its consumer sentiment index rose to a nearly eight-year high of 93.8 this month from 88.8 in November. Analysts had expected the index to rise to 89.7 in December.
The data came after the U.S. Department of Labor reported that producer price inflation fell 0.2% last month, compared to expectations for a 0.1% downtick, after a 0.2% rise in October.
Core producer price inflation, which excludes food, energy and trade, was flat in November, confounding expectations for a 0.1% rise, after an increase of 0.4% the previous month.
The dollar also remained supported after strong retail sales numbers on Thursday boosted expectations for the Federal Reserve to hike interest rates earlier in 2015 than once anticipated, possibly in the middle of the year.
The U.S. dollar index, which measures the greenback against a basket of six major currencies, was down 0.28% at 88.35, not far from Monday's five-year high of 89.53.
EUR/USD was up 0.37% to 1.2453, after data showed that industrial production in the euro zone rose 0.1% in October, in line with expectations, after a 0.5% increase in September, whose figure was revised from a previously estimated 0.6% gain.
Year-on-year, the bloc's industrial production increased 0.7% in October, compared to expectations for a 0.5% rise, after a revised 0.2% uptick in September.
The yen turned lower, with USD/JPY rising 0.13% to 118.85, while USD/CHF slid 0.39% to 0.9644.
EUR/CHF was little changed at 1.2009, after the Swiss National Bank left rates unchanged on Thursday and reiterated that it will defend the 1.20 per euro exchange rate cap.
The pound edged lower, with GBP/USD easing 0.16% to 1.5707. Earlier Friday, the U.K. Office for National Statistics said that construction output declined 2.2% in October, disappointing expectations for a 0.8% rise.
Construction output rose 2.2% in September, whose figure was revised from a previously estimated 1.8% gain.
The Australian, New Zealand and Canadian dollars remained broadly weaker, with AUD/NZD down 0.40% to 0.8236 and NZD/USD retreating 0.63% 0.7767, while USD/CAD gained 0.40% to trade at 1.1568.
The commodity-linked currencies were under pressure after official data earlier showed that industrial production in China rose 7.2% in November, confounding expectations for an increase of 7.5%, after a 7.7% gain in October.
The lower-than-expected data sparked concerns over a slowdown in the world's second largest economy.