* U.S. data provides cover for dollar profit-taking
* Outlook for dovish Fed continues to weigh on dollar
* Sterling soars as BoE official says policies working
(Updates prices, adds details, comment, changes byline)
By Steven C. Johnson
NEW YORK, Oct 15 (Reuters) - The dollar rose against the yen and recouped some losses against commodity currencies on Thursday after encouraging U.S. data prompted some profit-taking on the greenback's recent slide.
The euro, though, swung between gains and losses and remained near a 14-month peak above $1.49 as investors debated when the Federal Reserve will raise U.S. interest rates from current record lows near zero.
Minutes from the Fed's last meeting showed officials don't see inflation as an imminent risk, suggesting interest rates may stay low for some time. In that case, investors should continue to favor higher-yield currencies over the greenback.
This outlook has helped push the dollar down about 2 percent against a basket of major currencies over the past two weeks. It has lost about 7 percent so far this year.
A report showing consumer prices rose a modest 0.2 percent last month bolstered the Fed's case, though other data muddied the outlook a bit. New applications for jobless benefits fell to a nine-month low, and New York state manufacturing reached a five-year high.
"Many major currencies have rallied to significant levels against the dollar, and there's not enough momentum to sustain those moves today in the face of stronger U.S. data," said Kathy Lien, director of research at GFT Forex in New York.
The dollar rose 1.5 percent to 90.70 yen, its highest level in three weeks, after having slipped to 89.28 yen overnight. The euro earlier dipped to $1.4840 but recovered to $1.4919, little changed from Wednesday and not far from a 14-month high of $1.4967.
Sterling soared 1.8 percent to $1.6261 after Bank of England policymaker Paul Fisher told the Financial Times he felt more confident the central bank's asset purchase program was working.
Sterling also jumped 3 percent to 147.29 yen while the euro fell 1.8 percent to 91.87 pence.
The dollar also rose 1.1 percent against the Canadian dollar to C$1.0355 after earlier hitting a 15-month low just above $1.02.
Earlier, the greenback fell to 14-month lows against the Australian dollar after Australian central bank chief Glenn Stevens hinted at more interest rate rises as economic recovery takes hold. The RBA lifted rates last week.
DOLLAR UPS AND DOWNS AHEAD
Some analysts said more profit-taking may be on the cards, particularly if the euro fails to retest the $1.4967 level and makes a further push to $1.50.
Beyond that, though, most said they expected further dollar weakness. "Everyone is short (dollars), and this is a legitimate risk," said David Gilmore, partner at Foreign Exchange Analytics in Essex, Connecticut.
But, he added, "this is one of those rare markets when extreme supply and demand imbalances are sustainable," at least through year end and possibly into early 2010.
Simon Derrick of Bank of New York Mellon said reports of Asian central banks intervening to keep their currencies from appreciating had not lifted the dollar because the market anticipated some of the dollars would be converted into euros.
Hong Kong's central bank sold HK$1.5 billion ($200 million) to keep the Hong Kong dollar within its trading band.