Investing.com - The U.S. dollar traded lower against nearly all of its major rivals during Friday’s Asian as some mixed data points out of the world’s largest economy again had traders pondering what the Federal Reserve’s next move will be regarding its quantitative easing efforts.
In Asian trading Friday, EUR/USD rose 0.06% to 1.3354. Later Friday, the euro zone is to release official data on consumer price inflation and the trade balance.
GBP/USD inched up 0.04% to 1.5639 after the Office for National Statistics reported that U.K. retail sales climbed 1.1% in July from June, far outpacing expectations for a 0.6% gain after a 0.2% increase in June.
Retail sales rose 3.0% on year, beating expectations for a 2.5% gain after rising at an annual rate of 1.9% in June. Core retail sales, which exclude automobile sales, rose 1.1% in July from June, above forecasts for a 0.6% gain, after increasing 0.3% in the preceding month.
USD/JPY fell 0.11% to 97.28 as speculation mounts that the yen’s recent bout of strength could force the Bank of Japan to unveil new quantitative easing measures to assuage skittish market participants.
USD/CHF inched down 0.03% to 0.9260 while USD/CAD fell 0.08% to 1.0300 even as oil prices traded slightly lower.
In U.S. economic news out Thursday, the U.S. Labor Department said initial claims for jobless benefits fell by 15,000 last week to 320,000. That is lowest level since October 2007. The less volatile four-week average fell 4,000 to 332,000, the lowest reading since November 2007.
The Labor Department said U.S. consumer prices rose a seasonally adjusted 0.2% last month. Excluding energy and food, the core consumer-price index also rose 0.2% Overall CPI rose 0.5% and has risen 2% in the past year.
The New York Federal Reserve said its Empire State general business conditions index fell to 8.24 from 9.46 in July. Economists expected a reading of 10. Readings above zero indicate expansion. The index for the number of employees climbing to 10.84 from 3.26. The average employee workweek index jumped to 4.82 from minus 7.61, according to Reuters
AUD/USD continued its recent ascent with a gain of 0.08% to 0.9150. NZD/USD rose 0.28% to 0.9028 while the U.S. Dollar Index inched up 0.01% to 81.19.
In Asian trading Friday, EUR/USD rose 0.06% to 1.3354. Later Friday, the euro zone is to release official data on consumer price inflation and the trade balance.
GBP/USD inched up 0.04% to 1.5639 after the Office for National Statistics reported that U.K. retail sales climbed 1.1% in July from June, far outpacing expectations for a 0.6% gain after a 0.2% increase in June.
Retail sales rose 3.0% on year, beating expectations for a 2.5% gain after rising at an annual rate of 1.9% in June. Core retail sales, which exclude automobile sales, rose 1.1% in July from June, above forecasts for a 0.6% gain, after increasing 0.3% in the preceding month.
USD/JPY fell 0.11% to 97.28 as speculation mounts that the yen’s recent bout of strength could force the Bank of Japan to unveil new quantitative easing measures to assuage skittish market participants.
USD/CHF inched down 0.03% to 0.9260 while USD/CAD fell 0.08% to 1.0300 even as oil prices traded slightly lower.
In U.S. economic news out Thursday, the U.S. Labor Department said initial claims for jobless benefits fell by 15,000 last week to 320,000. That is lowest level since October 2007. The less volatile four-week average fell 4,000 to 332,000, the lowest reading since November 2007.
The Labor Department said U.S. consumer prices rose a seasonally adjusted 0.2% last month. Excluding energy and food, the core consumer-price index also rose 0.2% Overall CPI rose 0.5% and has risen 2% in the past year.
The New York Federal Reserve said its Empire State general business conditions index fell to 8.24 from 9.46 in July. Economists expected a reading of 10. Readings above zero indicate expansion. The index for the number of employees climbing to 10.84 from 3.26. The average employee workweek index jumped to 4.82 from minus 7.61, according to Reuters
AUD/USD continued its recent ascent with a gain of 0.08% to 0.9150. NZD/USD rose 0.28% to 0.9028 while the U.S. Dollar Index inched up 0.01% to 81.19.