* Dollar swings between gains and losses vs yen
* Euro recovers to trade higher vs dollar
* Trading volatile on U.S. federal government holiday
* Sterling slammed on report rates to stay low (Adds details, quote, updates prices)
By Nick Olivari
NEW YORK, Oct 12 (Reuters) - The dollar was mostly lower on Monday as investors positioned for earnings from some of the biggest U.S. banks later this week on expectations that results will top forecasts and drive risk tolerance higher.
Though the relationship has weakened in recent months, some investors are still selling the dollar against other currencies as they buy riskier assets.
Results from JPMorgan Chase & Co and Goldman Sachs Group Inc are slated for later this week.
With the federal government closed for the U.S. Columbus Day holiday, trading was light and volatile, with many investors taking the day off, though the pound wallowed against both the euro and dollar after a report said British interest rates would stay at rock-bottom levels for some time.
Given the holiday, "we seeing some exaggerated moves here," said Joe Manimbo, a currency trader Travelex Global Business Payments in Washington, D.C.
"It's a quiet start to the week given the holiday and the market is positioning for some of the financial earnings."
The Tokyo markets were also shut for a one-day holiday.
The U.S. currency shed early gains against the euro as factors such as large deficits and concern about the dollar's status as the preeminent reserve currency weighed.
The euro rose 0.5 percent to $1.4801. The single European currency also rose 0.4 percent against the yen at 132.71 yen.
The dollar was 0.1 percent lower at 89.67 yen, trading between a session peak of 90.46 yen and a low of 89.64 yen, according to Reuters data.
"There is still ongoing dollar weakness with a modicum of strength against the yen," said Marc Chandler, head of global strategy at Brown Brothers Harriman in New York. "That's largely technical with no trend change."
The dollar index, which measures the dollar against a basket of six currencies, fell 0.5 percent to 76.061.
POUND FALLS
Sterling fell broadly and traded around a five-month low against the dollar and a seven-month low against the euro, after the Centre for Economics and Business Research said British interest rates would stay at 0.5 percent until 2011 and not rise to 2 percent until 2014.
"That doesn't come as a surprise to anybody," Marc Chandler, head of global strategy at Brown Brothers Harriman in New York. "They are going to keep rates on hold for some time."
Sterling lost 0.3 percent against the dollar, 0.9 percent against the euro, and 1 percent against the Swiss franc, according to Reuters data.
A surprise rate hike by Australia last week has also put renewed market focus on the direction of interest rates though that theme was not as apparent on Monday.
The dollar rebounded on Friday after U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said last Thursday that policy could be tightened as a recovery takes hold.
St. Louis Federal Reserve President James Bullard added to the debate on Sunday, saying medium-term inflation risks in the U.S. economy could be higher than thought. (Editing by Leslie Adler)