FOREX-Dollar edges lower, kiwi down on rate outlook

* Dollar softer as data points to patchy recovery

* Support for dollar index at 81.44

* Kiwi down, hurt by RBNZ statement on future hikes

SYDNEY, July 29 (Reuters) - The U.S. dollar eased towards three-month lows against a basket of currencies on Thursday, as fresh evidence of a patchy recovery in the U.S. led more investors to go short on the greenback.

The New Zealand dollar fell sharply after the Reserve Bank of New Zealand signalled the pace of further interest rate hikes would be less than earlier thought. The kiwi fell to as low as $0.7207, from $0.7280 before the announcement, before staging a mild recovery. [ID:nSGE66P0N3].

"The neutral statement and revised market expectations for future rate decisions will help in taking upside pressure off the kiwi," said Josh Williamson, analyst at Citi.

Other higher-yielding currencies like the Australian dollar were also subdued, while the euro consolidated below $1.30 amid growing talk that option barriers around $1.3050 were likely to be defended.

Traders said the 'risk-on' mood has cooled a little bit, hurt by factors like mixed U.S. durable goods data and Fed's beige book. The Beige Book pointed to a less-than-booming recovery with sluggish housing markets and sales of costly items like new cars weakening. For details, see [ID:nWALSIE6ES]

A string of lackluster economic reports recently has weighed on the greenback and led investors to cut short positions in the euro.

The single currency touched an 11-week high against the dollar at $1.3045 on Tuesday, helped by strong bank earnings and gains in European equities, following last week's favourable results of regulatory stress tests. [ID:nLDE66R1B8].

The dollar index <.DXY> was down 0.14 percent at 82.07, with near-term support at 81.44, the 50 percent retracement of the index's move from a low of 74.17 in December 2009 to a high of 88.71 on June 7.

The dollar was softer against the yen, at 87.41 yen , having shed 0.4 percent on Wednesday after a report showed new durable goods orders unexpectedly fell for a second straight month in June.

Still, the core measure of orders excluding aircraft and defence rose 0.6 percent in June, on top of an upwardly revised 4.6 percent jump in May, suggesting activity was not nearly as soft as the headline number suggested.

Traders in Tokyo expect the dollar to trade between 87.30 yen to 87.80 yen with possible month-end selling of dollars by Japanese exporters going through on Wednesday.

(additional reporting by Masayuki Kitano in Tokyo) (Editing by Wayne Cole)