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FOREX-Dollar slides, risk appetite returns

Published 06/26/2009, 07:42 AM
Updated 06/26/2009, 07:48 AM
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* Dollar falls as risk appetite boosted by higher stocks

* Euro up 0.7 percent at $1.4083

* Market wary of SNB intervention, Swiss KOF index improves

* China repeats call for super-sovereign currency

(Changes byline, adds quotes, updates prices)

By Farah Master

LONDON, June 26 (Reuters) - The dollar fell against a basket of currencies on Friday after a series of global liquidity measures boosted investor sentiment, while higher equities and commodity prices further pressured the greenback.

Investors shifted back into riskier assets after the U.S. Federal Reserve indicated on Wednesday it would keep interest rates low for a while, leaving them unchanged near zero.

European equities gained, following rises in Asia and on Wall Street the previous day.

On Thursday, the Fed extended some of its emergency funding facilities and its currency swap lines with central banks around the world to provide ample U.S. dollar funds.

"The dollar is down on the fact we are seeing an increase in risk appetite once again," said Ian Stannard, senior foreign exchange strategist at BNP Paribas in London.

"The liquidity operations we have seen globally is reassuring the markets and investor confidence and we are seeing the dollar coming under pressure on the back of that."

The European Central Bank on Wednesday offered unlimited amounts of cash in one-year loans for the first time.

The dollar index, a gauge of the greenback's performance against six other major currencies, fell 0.7 percent to 79.836, just shy of a two-week low of 79.562 earlier this week.

By 1100 GMT, the euro rose 0.7 percent to $1.4083, heading toward a two-week high of $1.4139 hit earlier this week. Traders said there were options with a strike price of $1.40 set to expire later in the day.

European shares were up 0.4 percent by midday trade, while U.S. crude oil futures were up near $71 a barrel.

SNB WATCH

Traders remained cautious about more currency intervention by the Swiss National Bank to weaken its domestic currency against the euro and the dollar to protect the export-driven economy.

Data on Friday showed Switzerland's leading indicator growth indicator, the KOF Swiss Economic Institute's economic barometer, rose to -1.65 in June, beating forecasts of -1.76.

"It is really gratifying that the main indicators have found their trough like in the rest of Europe," said Alessandro Bee, economist at Sarasin.

"The central bank will continue its course because there is still a danger of deflation and even though there is a turnaround it is at such a low level."

The euro was little changed against the Swiss franc after the data, holding near 1.53 francs. Broad dollar weakness dragged the U.S. unit down to 1.0857 francs, down 0.7 percent on the day.

The yen also fell broadly as investors sought higher-yielding currencies and on expectations for more capital outflows from Japan.

Comments from China's central bank that it would push for the international community to reduce its over-reliance on a small number of reserve currencies also weighed on the yen.

The dollar slipped 0.5 percent against the yen at 134.37 yen . The euro climbed 0.2 percent to 134.18 yen.

The New Zealand dollar was flat at $0.6449 after falling to around $0.6410 after data showed the New Zealand economy shrank for the fifth quarter in a row, its longest recession on record.

(Reporting by Farah Master; Editing by Toby Chopra)

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