Dollar hits month high against euro

The dollar trimmed earlier gains to a one-month high against a basket of currencies today.

The dollar trimmed earlier gains to a one-month high against a basket of currencies today.

The euro was steady from late US trade at $1.4605 after dipping to a three-week low of $1.4573 on trading platform EBS. Just last month the euro struck a record high of $1.4968.

Investors are focused on European currencies as expectations mount for the Bank of England (BoE) to start cutting interest rates later in the day.

The euro was dragged to a three-week low against the dollar, with the ECB seen under pressure to strike a more balanced stance on policy as other major central banks cut rates to deal with the US slowdown and this year's credit crunch.

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The yen was also weaker as Asian stock markets posted solid gains, making market players comfortable selling the low-yielding Japanese currency for higher-yielding currencies in the carry trade.

Japan's Nikkei average rose 1.6 per cent by late afternoon trade.