LONDON, 27 July 2004 — The dollar dipped against the euro here yesterday following last week’s gains, with investors already focusing on Friday’s job-creation data in the United States. The single European currency in late-day trade was at 1.2140 dollars against 1.2094 late on Friday in New York.
The dollar was meanwhile trading at 110.08 yen, just down from 110.14 on Friday.
The greenback last week surged about three percent in the wake of upbeat comments from US Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan, who painted a bright picture of the US economic recovery.
The euro was changing hands at 1.2140 dollars from 1.2094 late on Friday in New York, 133.64 yen (133.22), 0.6603 pounds (0.6602) and 1.5332 Swiss francs (1.5324).
Meanwhile, European stock markets sagged yesterday. The British FTSE 100 index fell 0.91 percent to 4,287.0 points, the German DAX 30 shed 1.18 percent to 3,752.59 and the French CAC 40 dropped 0.97 percent to 3,532.61.
The DJ Euro Stoxx 50 index of leading euro zone shares declined 1.23 percent to 2,640.61 points.
Elsewhere in Europe, the Swiss SMI index slipped 0.69 percent to 5,482.0 points, the Amsterdam AEX shed 1.22 percent to 320.72 and the Brussels Bel-20 lost 0.38 percent at 2,406.23.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 8 points, or 0.08 percent, at 9,954. The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index was down 4 points, or 0.34 percent, at 1,083. The technology-laced NASDAQ Composite Index was down 13 points, or 0.72 percent, at 1,836.
Earlier in Asia, Tokyo’s benchmark Nikkei-225 index closed 0.25 percent lower at 11,159.55 points yesterday in the wake of Wall Street’s losses, dealers said.
Hong Kong’s key Hang Seng Index finished 0.27 percent down at 12,319.83 points.
In Seoul, the composite index closed down 1.30 points at 736.21, above a low of 729.80 and off a high of 739.56. Volume was 303 million shares worth 1.2 trillion won ($1.03 billion).
The Shanghai A-share Index fell 20.76 points or 1.41 percent to 1,456.26 on turnover of 5.26 billion yuan ($635 million) while the Shenzhen A-share Index was down 5.28 points or 1.42 percent at 367.69 on turnover of 3.83 billion yuan.
The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index, which covers both A- and B-shares, closed down 19.73 points or 1.40 percent at 1,387.67 on turnover of 5.30 billion yuan.
The Shanghai B-share Index was down 0.99 points or 1.10 percent at 88.69 on turnover of 4.92 million US dollars.
The Straits Times Index added 5.72 points to finish at 1,855.98 and the All-Singapore Equities index gained 0.26 points to 487.46.
The Bombay Stock Exchange’s 30-share benchmark Sensex index closed 44.83 points higher at 5,118.17 points.
Oil prices slipped yesterday.
Oil prices slipped yesterday. The price of benchmark Brent North Sea crude oil for delivery in September shed 24 cents to $38.03 a barrel in late afternoon trading in London. New York’s reference light sweet crude September-dated futures fell 49 cents to $41.22 per barrel in early deals.
