The dollar hovers near its weakest levels in a month against major currencies on Friday, influenced by the strength of the euro as traders bet on an increase in European interest rates. Additionally, the rise in stocks has reduced demand for safer assets. The New Zealand dollar declined amid a drop in consumer confidence, while the cryptocurrency Ether reached a record high.
The dollar index, which measures the performance of the U.S. currency against a basket of six major currencies, including the euro, rose by 0.1% to 93.462 but remained close to its lowest levels recorded on Thursday at 93.277, a point it hasn't fallen to since September 27. The euro fell 0.1% to 1.1666 dollars after rising to 1.1692 dollars overnight for the first time since September 28.
There was little change in the yen, another safe haven, which stood at 113.595 to the dollar, continuing its gradual decline from its nearly three-year high of 114.695 reached last week. The Australian dollar fell by 0.1% to 0.7537 dollars after reaching its highest level since early July at 0.75555 dollars in the previous session. The New Zealand dollar dropped by 0.3% to 0.7177 dollars following a sharp decline in consumer confidence in October.
For cryptocurrencies, Ether rose to a record level of 4,400 dollars, while its larger competitor Bitcoin was trading near 61,200 dollars, although down from its record high of 67,016.50 dollars made last week.
