LONDON, 30 September 2005 — The dollar was underpinned yesterday by weekly US jobless claims data that showed an unexpected fall, despite the distortions created by Hurricane Katrina. The euro slipped to 1.2015 dollars in European trading from 1.2035 late on Wednesday in New York. It had hit a high point of 1.2076 dollars overnight. The dollar stood at 113.09 yen from 113.10 yen on Wednesday.
The euro was changing hands at 1.2015 dollars against 1.2035 late on Wednesday in New York, 135.94 yen (136.13), 0.6824 pounds (0.6808) and 1.5581 Swiss francs (1.5550). The dollar stood at 113.09 yen (113.10) and 1.2967 Swiss francs (1.2923).
Asian stocks closed mostly sharply higher yesterday, with several markets extending gains into record territory as investors showed no fear of rising oil prices or interest rates, dealers said in Hong Kong.
They said there was some window-dressing for the end of the third quarter but underlying demand was strong in any case, with Seoul, Sydney and Bombay all posting record performances once more while Tokyo picked up speed and looked set for 14,000 points.
Tokyo’s lead is especially positive for the region, with a return to steady growth in Japan helping to offset concerns about any slowdown in the US economy.
