FOREX-Dollar and yen supported by fears of new pandemic wave; Norway's crown shines

* Aussie dollar falls after data
* Euro sheds nearly 1% in 6 days
* Dollar index little changed
* Graphic: World FX rates in 2019 http://tmsnrt.rs/2egbfVh

(Recasts, adds Norges Bank news, updates prices)
By Olga Cotaga
LONDON, June 18 (Reuters) - The U.S. dollar and Japanese yen
held their positions on Thursday as concerns about a rise in new
coronavirus cases underpinned demand for safe-haven currencies,
while the Norwegian crown was a star performer.
The crown was the biggest mover among major currencies,
rising after Norway's central bank said the country's economic
prospects had improved more than expected in recent weeks and
that its key policy interest rate would be kept unchanged for
the time being. The crown "seems to be ticking pretty much all the boxes at
the moment", said Adrian Owens, currency and fixed income
portfolio manager at hedge fund GAM, noting that the economic
"numbers are coming out better in Norway and the central bank
(is) acknowledging this and becoming more hawkish."
Norway is one of the few countries in the world where
inflation is expected to remain around target, supporting the
currency, Owens said.
The Norwegian crown was up 0.6% versus the dollar at 9.4560
NOK=D3 and by 0.5% versus the euro at 10.6430 EURNOK=D3 .
An index tracking the dollar against a basket of currencies
=USD was unchanged at 97.09. The dollar has strengthened in
recent weeks as investors grappled with fears that the COVID-19
pandemic's impact on economic growth.
The Japanese yen was last trading neutral at 107 JPY=EBS
after touching a six-day high of 106.70 in the Asian trading
session. It remained close to the one-month high of 106.58 it
rose to last week.
"FX markets are mildly risk-off overnight, with only light
news flow. Beyond continuing concerns of a COVID-19 second wave,
AUD and NZD underperformance is being compounded by weak
domestic data," said Adam Cole, chief currency strategist at RBC
Capital Markets.
More than 8.36 million people have been reported to be
infected by the novel coronavirus globally and 447,985​ have
died, a Reuters tally found. A surge in new coronavirus infections in several U.S. states
and the imposition of travel curbs in Beijing to stop a new
outbreak there have served as a reminder of the risks of
re-opening economic activity before a vaccine has been
developed.
The Australian dollar fell after data showed the economy
shed twice as many jobs as expected in May, highlighting the
damage caused by lockdown restrictions. The Aussie dollar was last flat at 0.6882, having fallen
earlier to 0.6838 AUD=D4 .
The euro was also little changed against the greenback, at
$1.1250 EUR=EBS .
The common currency has lost nearly 1% of its value in less
than a week as investors questioned whether the European Union
would be able to pass an ambitious stimulus plan proposed by the
European Commission, given that some countries are opposed to
handing out aid as grants.
"It would seem as if euro/dollar has found its new comfort
zone in the area of 1.12-1.14. Only the political front might
provide some momentum," said Thu Lan Nguyen, a currency analyst
at Commerzbank.
Elsewhere, the British pound was trading 0.2% lower both
against the U.S. dollar and the euro, at $1.2518 GBP=D3 and
89.75 pence EURGBP=D3 respectively, following the Bank of
England announcement on rebuilding its war-chest for fighting
the coronavirus crisis.