The dollar mostly declined Friday, hurt by weakness in the US stock market as traders adjusted positions ahead of the weekend.
With no fresh US economic data to give them direction, currency investors continued to spurn the greenback, which remained close to the multiyear lows against sterling and the Canadian, Australian and New Zealand dollars reached earlier in the week.
However, the attack on the dollar -- led by short-term speculative traders -- tended to lose momentum when active European trading ceased for the day and the dollar's overall losses compared with levels late Thursday were relatively small.
The share market's weak performance was the biggest negative for the dollar this session, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average ending Friday down 0.3 percent, or 30 points, at 9,582, dragged lower by an 8 percent drop in Microsoft shares as new contract bookings fell short of expectations.
The euro struggled much of the North American session to break through US$1.1850, peaking briefly at US$1.1855 -- less than US$0.01 away from its all-time high at US$1.1932 reached earlier this year. Technical analysts at JP Morgan said the euro's initial resistance comes in at US$1.1830 to US$1.1850, a breach of which is required if it is to once again test the all-time high.
Late Friday, the euro was trading at US$1.1803, up from US$1.1779 late Thursday in New York. The euro was also at ¥129.10, little changed from ¥129.14.
The dollar was at ¥109.33, down from ¥109.65 late Thursday, and the Swiss franc at 1.3090, down from Sf1.3145.
The British pound was at US$1.6980, not far from a new five-year high at US$1.7000 hit earlier Friday and up from US$1.6947 late Thursday in New York. Sterling's gathering momentum showed few signs of letting up, especially after another batch of encouraging UK economic data Friday strengthened the belief that interest rates will rise soon.
The UK's economy expanded by 0.6 percent in the third quarter, or 1.9 percent on the year-earlier period. This was in line with upbeat expectations, as was retail-sales data, which showed a 0.6 percent rise last month on the month and a rise of 3.9 percent on the year.
The pound's strength supported the euro and the Swiss franc and generally helped keep the dollar under pressure. Investors also continued to favor higher-yielding currencies such as the New Zealand and Canadian dollars. The New Zealand dollar stuck close to a new six-year high at US$0.6111 reached in the aftermath of the Reserve Bank of New Zealand's decision Thursday to leave its Official Cash Rate unchanged at 5.00 percent.
Late in New York Friday, the New Zealand dollar was at US$0.6090, little changed from US$0.6087 late Thursday in Wellington.
Meanwhile, the US dollar slipped from day-earlier levels against the Canadian dollar, but remained above 10-year lows hit Wednesday against its counterpart to the North. The US currency exited the week at C$1.3070 from C$1.3086 late Thursday.
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