LONDON
The euro gained a touch and the Japanese yen softened today, at the start of a week containing a closely-watched Bank of Japan meeting and the last few data releases before Federal Reserve and European Central Bank rate decisions in early May.
The euro was up 0.25 per cent against the dollar at US$1.1015 (RM4.9), back above US$1.10 for the first time since it hit a 14-month high of US$1.10755 earlier this month.
German business morale rose slightly in April, a survey showed today, adding to positive signs as Europe’s largest economy hopes to have dodged a winter recession, and there were also hawkish remarks from Belgian central bank chief and ECB policy maker Pierre Wunsch.
The euro’s gains were most striking against the Japanese yen up 0.63 per cent to ¥148.3 (RM4.9), as the yen was pressured by remarks from the new Bank of Japan governor Kazuo Ueda about the need to maintain monetary easing.
