* Fed extends overnight repo facility to foreign central banks
* Dollar pares gains after latest Fed measure
* Graphic: World FX rates in 2019 http://tmsnrt.rs/2egbfVh
(Recasts, adds new comment, updates prices)
By Gertrude Chavez-Dreyfuss
NEW YORK, March 31 (Reuters) - The dollar rose against the euro and the Swiss franc on Tuesday but was
off its highs, modestly pressured by the weight of Federal Reserve measures meant to ensure there was
enough liquidity in the global financial system.
The dollar benefited from quarterly and fiscal year-end demand from portfolio managers and Japanese
firms, but trading was choppy, with the dollar alternating between gains and losses.
For the quarter, the dollar =USD was the biggest gainer, rising 2.8%. The Norwegian crown was the
biggest loser NOK=D3 , falling 19% against the dollar.
Analysts said the steep fall in U.S. equity markets during March led to increased buying of dollars
for asset managers seeking to rebalance their portfolios at the end of the month.
But the U.S. currency pared gains in the aftermath of the latest Fed move on Tuesday to expand the
ability of dozens of foreign central banks to access dollars during the coronavirus crisis. Essentially,
the Fed is allowing foreign central banks to exchange their holdings of U.S. Treasury securities for
overnight dollar loans. It is one of a slew of measures that the Fed unleashed to address liquidity problems caused by the
economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic.
"The dollar will struggle to extend gains significantly at the moment just because of the relative
supply of cash coming in from the Fed in dollar terms," said Shaun Osborne, chief FX strategist at
Scotiabank in Toronto.
In midday trading, the dollar index =USD was up 0.1% at 99.324, after rising as much as 0.8% on the
day.
It reached 102.99, its highest in more than three years, earlier this month as a global market
sell-off fueled a rush for dollars.
Dollar demand has ebbed, but analysts are still forecasting more dollar gains.
Against the yen, the dollar slipped slightly to 107.77 yen JPY=EBS .
Tuesday is the last trading day of Japan's fiscal year and the end of the quarter for major investors
elsewhere, which has fueled some volatility as big currency market players close their books. The bulk of
those positioning changes caused the dollar to strengthen.
Some analysts believed that the dollar is likely to remain supported as investors brace for a sharp
economic downturn in the coming quarters.
"The Fed's efforts so far are the closest thing to taming the dollar's strength," said Joe Manimbo,
senior market analyst at Western Union Business Solutions in Washington.
"But the desire to hold dollars remains elevated ahead of what's expected to be a punishing second
quarter for U.S. and global growth."
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Currency bid prices at 12:47PM (1647 GMT)
Description RIC Last U.S. Close Pct Change YTD Pct High Bid Low Bid
Previous Change
Session
Euro/Dollar EUR= $1.0973 $1.1046 -0.66% -2.12% +1.1054 +1.0927
Dollar/Yen JPY= 107.8600 107.8100 +0.05% -0.92% +108.7200 +107.4700
Euro/Yen EURJPY= 118.37 119.07 -0.59% -2.94% +119.7000 +118.2800
Dollar/Swiss CHF= 0.9658 0.9583 +0.78% -0.21% +0.9685 +0.9581
Sterling/Dollar GBP= 1.2400 1.2416 -0.13% -6.48% +1.2472 +1.2253
Dollar/Canadian CAD= 1.4188 1.4169 +0.13% +9.26% +1.4348 +1.4093
Australian/Doll AUD= 0.6098 0.6172 -1.20% -13.17% +0.6213 +0.6080
ar
Euro/Swiss EURCHF= 1.0596 1.0585 +0.10% -2.35% +1.0621 +1.0563
Euro/Sterling EURGBP= 0.8848 0.8886 -0.43% +4.64% +0.8968 +0.8813
NZ NZD= 0.5923 0.6013 -1.50% -12.08% +0.6037 +0.5921
Dollar/Dollar
Dollar/Norway NOK= 10.4586 10.5474 -0.84% +19.14% +10.6075 +10.3933
Euro/Norway EURNOK= 11.4775 11.6400 -1.40% +16.65% +11.6690 +11.4250
Dollar/Sweden SEK= 9.9706 10.0059 -1.12% +6.66% +10.1327 +9.8947
Euro/Sweden EURSEK= 10.9320 11.0558 -1.12% +4.42% +11.1217 +10.8540
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