NEW YORK, MarketWatch (31/10) -- The U.S. dollar rose against the euro
Thursday as euro-zone inflation in October dropped below 1% to its
lowest level in nearly four years.Preliminary data showed that
euro-zone inflation declined to 0.7% this month from 1.1% in September.
Also weighing on the euro were comments from the U.S. Treasury
Department alleging that Germany’s economic policies are weighing on
euro-zone and global growth.The ICE dollar index, which tracks
the greenback against the shared currency and five other currencies,
rose to 80.126 from 79.849. The WSJ Dollar Index, an alternate measure
of the U.S. unit, rose to 72.56 from 72.44 on Wednesday.Data
released Thursday showed the number of Americans filing for unemployment
benefits fell by 10,000 to a seasonally adjusted 340,000 last week, the
Labor Department said. The decline was smaller than the drop to 337,000
expected by economists in a MarketWatch poll and the less-volatile
four-week average of claims rose by 8,000 to its highest level since
mid-April.The dollar also strengthened after the Chicago
purchasing managers index leapt to 65.9% this month, the highest level
since March 2011.The dollar fell to ¥98.27 from ¥98.66. The yen
on an intraday basis Thursday saw slight gains against the greenback
after the Bank of Japan kept its policy stance and asset-buying program
unchanged by a unanimous vote, as widely expected.The Australian
dollar AUDUSD -0.01% was slightly stronger in recent trade at 94.83
U.S. cents versus 94.52 U.S. cents late Wednesday.
