FOREX-Dollar eases, on track for smallest return in 6 years as risk appetite revives

By Swati Pandey
SYDNEY, Dec 31 (Reuters) - The dollar dipped to a near
three-week low against the yen in thin year-end volume on
Tuesday as investors favoured riskier assets, led by renewed
optimism about global growth.
The greenback was off 0.2% at 108.64 against the Japanese
yen JPY= , the weakest since Dec. 12 and on track for its third
straight session of losses.
The dollar index .DXY , which measures the currency against
a basket of rivals, was a shade weaker at 96.695.
On Friday, the index had suffered its biggest one-day fall
since March, which left its gains for the year at about 0.5%,
compared with returns of 4.4% in 2018. It is now on track for
the smallest rise since 2013.
Encouraging news on the Sino-U.S. trade deal boosted risk
sentiment in currency markets overnight.
The White House's trade adviser, Peter Navarro, on Monday
said the U.S.-China Phase 1 trade deal would likely be signed in
the next week, but said confirmation would come from President
Donald Trump or the U.S. Trade Representative.
Increased optimism about U.S.-China trade relations and an
improved global growth outlook drove investors out of other
safe-haven assets like Treasury bonds while the risk-sensitive
Australian and New Zealand dollars jumped to five-month highs.
US/
China's yuan CNH= strengthened in the offshore market
against the dollar to 6.9718, its highest since Dec. 13. It was
last at 6.9743.
The yuan was still on track for a second year of losses,
however, as the Sino-U.S. trade dispute and domestic economic
weakness took a toll. The onshore yuan was down around 1.5% for
the year, after losing 5.3% in 2018. CNY/
Investors' appetite for risk also helped drive the euro
EUR= to a 4-1/2-month high of $1.121 on Monday. It was last up
0.1% at $1.1209. Signs that the euro zone economy may be
stabilising have lifted the single currency in recent
weeks. Sterling GBP= was last treading water at $1.3115 against
the dollar after rising 2.8% so far this year. Concerns that
Britain is headed for a disruptive "hard Brexit" at the end of
2020 have hurt the pound since mid-December.