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FOREX-Euro slightly higher as stocks inch up

Published 04/09/2009, 07:06 AM
Updated 04/09/2009, 07:08 AM
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* Euro up, dlr, yen edge lower as European stocks inch up

* Euro up 0.2 percent at $1.3285, up 0.6 percent vs yen

* ECB's Nowotny: Rates under 1 percent under discussion

* BoE keeps interest rates unchanged, continue QE (Adds quotes, updates prices)

By Naomi Tajitsu

LONDON, April 9 (Reuters) - The dollar and yen slipped against other major currencies on Thursday as European shares eked gains, renewing appetite for so-called riskier assets ahead of the Easter holidays.

The euro was supported by a 0.3 percent rise in regional share prices, although the currency retreated from a session high after a European Central Bank Governing Council member said that a fall below 1 percent in the central bank's key rate was "open for discussion"

Sterling was little changed on the day, after the Bank of England held interest rates at a record low 0.5 percent, as widely expected, and said it would continue with quantitative easing.

"To the extent that we've seen a slight revival in risk appetite, the rebound in equities is important," said Robert Minikin, senior forex strategist at Standard Chartered in London.

"But we stress that for many currencies, for example in dollar/yen, it's been a mean-reverting move, rather than pushing out to new levels."

He added that the pair was hovering near short-term moving average levels.

Volatile stock markets and uncertainty over banks kept investors jittery, and activity was also limited ahead of holidays in many markets on Friday and Monday.

Currency markets have recently taken their cue from equities as big U.S. firms kicked off first quarter earnings, with the focus on financial firms' results due out next week.

European Central Bank President Jean-Claude Trichet said on Thursday he welcomed U.S. authorities saying a strong dollar was in U.S. interests and that it was important for all partners to be responsible on exchange rates.

Data on Thursday showed German industrial production fell by a monthly 2.9 percent in February, its sixth straight month-on-month drop. Still, the figure was slightly better than forecasts for a fall of 3.1 percent

The country's consumer price index rose by 0.5 percent in March from the same period a year ago, confirming earlier estimates.

POLICY IN FOCUS

By 1043 GMT, the euro was up 0.2 percent at $1.3285, having climbed as high as $1.3335 in early trade.

Against the yen, the euro was up 0.6 percent at 133.00 yen.

European shares pared some early gains, but demand for risk remained intact for the moment, as U.S. stock futures were up in early London trade, with S&P futures up 0.8 percent.

"With the earnings season yet to enter full swing, the market is still willing to give risk appetite the benefit of the doubt," said Geoffrey Yu, currency strategist at UBS.

The dollar rose 0.4 percent to 100.10 yen after falling about 0.8 percent on Wednesday. It rose as high as 101.45 yen on Monday to strike a six-month peak.

Sterling traded at $1.4675, down a touch from the previous day.

Nowotny, who is also governor of the Switzerland's central bank, said in an interview with Bloomberg News that he saw he possibility of taking the ECB rate below 1 percent, after the central bank cut rates to 1.25 percent last week.

He added that purchasing corporate bonds and commercial paper was a "sensible and efficient measure".

Lower ECB rates would further diminish what remains of the euro's yield advantage against currencies like the dollar and the yen, which helped to knock the currency from the day's high on Friday.

Market participants are awaiting the results of tests to see how the largest U.S. banks would fare under more adverse-than-expected economic conditions, which are seen coming out later in the month.

Reuters sources say the U.S. Treasury is planning to delay the release of any completed bank stress test results until after first-quarter earnings season, in order to avoid complicating the stock market's reaction. (Additional reporting by Tamawa Desai, editing by Andy Bruce)

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