* Graphic: World FX rates in 2019 http://tmsnrt.rs/2egbfVh
(Adds details, updates prices; changes byline, dateline;
previous LONDON)
By Karen Brettell
NEW YORK, June 22 (Reuters) - The U.S. dollar dropped and
higher risk currencies including the Australian dollar jumped on
Monday as investors weighed improving economic data against the
prospect of new business shutdowns as the coronavirus spread
further.
The World Health Organization (WHO) reported a record
increase in global novel coronavirus cases on Sunday. The
biggest rise in cases was in North America and South
America. On Friday, Apple Inc AAPL.O said it was temporarily
shutting some stores again in Florida, Arizona, South Carolina,
and North Carolina in the United States due to fresh outbreaks.
“Concerns of a second wave of infections weighed on markets
during the Asian sessions but seem to have faded,” said Win
Thin, global head of currency strategy at Brown Brothers
Harriman.
Strong economic data has raised hopes the economy will
bounce back quickly from business shutdowns.
Francesco Pesole, FX strategist at ING, said financial
markets were watching the extent to which new cases led to
tighter lockdown measures.
"If markets start to make the connection that more cases
will automatically imply new lockdowns then obviously it will
get much more sensitive to any new peak in terms of second
wave," Pesole said.
The dollar dipped 0.48% against a basket of currencies
=USD to 97.214.
The euro EUR= gained 0.55% versus the dollar to 1.1237,
rising off recent two-and-a-half-week lows.
On Friday, EU leaders agreed urgent action was needed to
haul their economies from the deepest recession since World War
Two, but made no progress on a massive stimulus plan that has
divided them for weeks. Riskier currencies outperformed with the Australian dollar
AUD= up 0.86% at $0.6891 against the greenback.
Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) Governor Philip Lowe said
the currency's recent rise was not a problem and the impact of
the pandemic would not be as bad as feared. A broad gauge of dollar positioning NETUSDALL= on Friday
showed speculators increased their short bets against the
greenback to the most since May 2018, at $16.27 billion.
Currency bid prices at 9:51AM (1351 GMT)
Description RIC Last U.S. Close Pct Change YTD Pct High Bid Low Bid
Previous Change
Session
Euro/Dollar EUR= $1.1237 $1.1175 +0.55% +0.24% +1.1243 +1.1169
Dollar/Yen JPY= 106.8000 106.8700 -0.07% -1.89% +107.0000 +106.7800
Euro/Yen EURJPY= 120.03 119.43 +0.50% -1.57% +120.1200 +119.3200
Dollar/Swiss CHF= 0.9487 0.9523 -0.38% -1.97% +0.9528 +0.9487
Sterling/Dollar GBP= 1.2414 1.2356 +0.47% -6.37% +1.2434 +1.2336
Dollar/Canadian CAD= 1.3553 1.3603 -0.37% +4.39% +1.3630 +1.3546
Australian/Doll AUD= 0.6891 0.6832 +0.86% -1.85% +0.6894 +0.6806
ar
Euro/Swiss EURCHF= 1.0663 1.0640 +0.22% -1.74% +1.0668 +1.0640
Euro/Sterling EURGBP= 0.9049 0.9049 +0.00% +7.05% +0.9065 +0.9021
NZ NZD= 0.6480 0.6405 +1.17% -3.82% +0.6483 +0.6372
Dollar/Dollar
Dollar/Norway NOK= 9.6095 9.6405 -0.32% +9.49% +9.7137 +9.5754
Euro/Norway EURNOK= 10.8020 10.7733 +0.27% +9.80% +10.8665 +10.7339
Dollar/Sweden SEK= 9.3816 9.4673 -0.50% +0.37% +9.4718 +9.3776
Euro/Sweden EURSEK= 10.5440 10.5970 -0.50% +0.71% +10.5975 +10.5388
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Aussie and Kiwi https://tmsnrt.rs/3eoHQCV
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(Additional eporting by Elizabeth Howcroft in London; Editing
by David Gregorio)