US dollar gains on euro

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The US dollar has risen against the euro as investors push back into the greenback and send US bond yields lower.

At 2200 GMT on Thursday (0900 Friday AEDT), the euro was at $US1.3665, compared with $US1.3753 on Tuesday, before the New Year’s Day public holiday.

The Japanese yen gained on both, with the US dollar buying 104.69 yen compared with 105.33, and the euro slipping to 143.06 yen from 144.89.

The US dollar buying sent US bond prices higher. The yield on the 10-year US Treasury fell to 2.99 per cent from 3.03 per cent.

US economic data gave little push to the market: the ISM manufacturing index for December was slightly lower; new unemployment insurance applications fell slightly last week; and construction spending pushed higher in November.

In the eurozone, manufacturing activity showed its best growth in 31 months in December, according to the Markit index.

In China, by comparison, the HSBC manufacturing index showed the slowest pace of growth in three months.

“Both the euro and Swiss franc have been hit hard by the slowdown in Chinese manufacturing activity,” said Kathy Lien at BK Asset Management.

“The unevenness of the (eurozone) recovery is one of the main reasons why we expect the euro to underperform the dollar this year. $US1.35 is now in sight,” she said.

The British pound slipped to $US1.6444 from $US1.6570, while the US dollar rose to 0.8991 Swiss franc from 0.8922.