LONDON, 23 February 2006 — The dollar traded slightly higher against the euro here late yesterday but gains were limited by a tame core inflation report in the United States.
The single European currency was at 1.1903 dollars against 1.1908 late Tuesday in New York. The dollar was meanwhile trading at 1.1863 yen after 118.68 on Tuesday.
The euro was changing hands at 1.1903 dollars against 1.1908 late on Tuesday, 141.09 yen (141.34), 0.6833 pounds (0.6821) and 1.5613 Swiss francs (1.5579).
The dollar stood at 118.56 yen (118.68) and 1.3115 Swiss francs (1.3080).
On the London Bullion Market, the price of an ounce of gold slipped to $553 per ounce compared from $554 late on Tuesday.
European stock exchanges advanced yesterday, with the London FTSE 100 index gaining 0.25 percent to close at 5,872.4. In Paris the CAC 40 added one percent to reach 5,041.60 while in Frankfurt the DAX edged up 1.05 percent to 5,862.06.
In New York, US stocks swung higher yesterday, rebounding from a weak performance in the prior session, after data showed consumer inflation largely in check.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 73.40 points (0.66 percent) to 11,142.46 and the NASDAQ composite gained 11.36 points (0.50 percent) to 2,274.32 at 1625 GMT. The Standard and Poor’s 500 index added 7.81 points (0.61 percent) to 1,290.85.
Asian stocks closed mostly lower yesterday. In Tokyo, the Nikkei-225 index lost 113.16 points to 15,781.78.
In Seoul, the KOSPI index closed down 5.91 points at 1,340.58.
World oil prices sank by over a dollar yesterday as the market switched its attention to an upcoming snapshot of crude inventories in the United States, analysts said.
New York’s main contract, light sweet crude for delivery in April, dropped $1.59 to $61.15 per barrel in pit trading.
In London, the price of Brent North Sea crude for April delivery slid $1.31 to $60.29 per barrel in electronic deals.