Dollar higher in Asia
US Currency. AP FILE PHOTO
TOKYO – The dollar traded higher against major currencies in Asia on Wednesday following another batch of solid US economic data.
The greenback bought 104.37 yen in Tokyo afternoon trade from 104.27 yen in New York Tuesday afternoon.
The euro bought $1.3667 against $1.3681 while fetching 142.62 yen from 142.65 yen.
The November report on US durable goods orders showed a better-than-expected increase of 3.5 percent. That was followed by a report on new home sales in the US that also beat expectations.
Tuesday’s data came on the heels of other recent upbeat US economic reports, which have added fire to sentiment about the world’s biggest economy after the Federal Reserve last week moved to scale back its vast stimulus programme.
The dollar was likely to be susceptible to moves from Japanese corporate accounts on the Christmas day in Asia when there would be fewer major players in the market, a senior dealer at a major Japanese trust bank told Dow Jones Newswires.
The thin trade of the holiday season may make the currency market vulnerable to any unexpected headlines, he said.
