FOREX-Dollar retreats versus most currencies; euro nears 3-year high

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* Dollar drops against currency basket after modest recovery

* Strong U.S. ADP jobs report lends brief support

* Greenback gains against yen as risk assets rally

* Bitcoin down 0.8 percent

(Adds comment, updates prices, table)

By Gertrude Chavez-Dreyfuss

NEW YORK, Jan 4 (Reuters) - The dollar fell on Thursday, failing to hold the previous day's gains on the back of upbeat U.S. data, as the euro resumed a rally that has taken it near its highest level in three years.

A stronger-than-expected U.S. private-sector jobs report briefly helped the dollar pare losses versus the euro and extend gains against the yen. But those moves were short-lived.

"The market quickly faded the mini-rally in the dollar as the trend gave way to what we have been seeing for the past several weeks, which is dollar weakness," said Sireen Harajli, currency strategist at Mizuho Corporate Bank in New York.

She added that while the ADP number was better than forecast and will probably lead to high expectations for the U.S. non-farm payrolls report on Friday, the market does not seem to be willing to push the dollar higher.

U.S. private employers added 250,000 jobs in December, data from ADP Research Institute showed, the biggest monthly increase since March. Economists surveyed by Reuters had forecast a gain of 190,000 jobs. urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nZON1Y7500

With ADP out of the way, investors are now focused on Friday's U.S. non-farm payrolls report, which is expected to show job gains of 190,000 for December.

James Chen, head of FX research at Forex.com in Bedminster, New Jersey said his firm's U.S. payrolls forecast is between 200,000-220,000 given the strong employment data in other economic indicators.

"Any result falling within or above this range is likely to give the U.S. dollar a boost, as it would help confirm the Fed's optimistic outlook for the economy and the path to higher interest rates in 2018," Chen said.

The dollar index, which measures the currency against a basket of six major rivals .DXY , had slipped to its lowest since Sept. 20 on Tuesday, as optimism about the euro zone economy drove the euro above $1.20 for the first time in 3-1/2 months. The index was last down 0.3 percent at 91.878.

The dollar had bounced on Wednesday after strong manufacturing and construction data, as well as somewhat hawkish Federal Reserve minutes. urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL1N1OX19J

The dollar rose against the yen, however, up 0.2 percent at 112.78 yenJPY= on strong risk appetite across markets.

After earlier hitting a low of $1.2005, the euro recovered to trade as high as $1.2089EUR= . The euro last changed hands at $1.2068, up 0.5 percent

Bitcoin, meanwhile, pared losses in late trading, down just 0.8 percent at $15,007 on the Bitstamp exchange BTC=BTSP . It has lost more than a quarter of its value since hitting record highs in mid-December.

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Currency bid prices at 2:54PM (1954 GMT) Description RIC Last U.S. Close Pct Change YTD Pct High Bid Low Bid

Previous Change

Session Euro/Dollar EUR= $1.2069$1.2012 +0.47% +0.61% +1.2089 +1.2005 Dollar/Yen JPY= 112.7500 112.4900 +0.23% +0.07% +112.8600 +112.4900 Euro/Yen EURJPY= 136.10 135.15 +0.70% +0.68% +136.3600 +135.1400 Dollar/Swiss CHF= 0.9746 0.9769 -0.24% +0.03% +0.9780 +0.9737 Sterling/Dollar GBP= 1.3552 1.3514 +0.28% +0.30% +1.3560 +1.3506 Dollar/Canadian CAD= 1.2495 1.2531 -0.29% -0.65% +1.2555 +1.2488 Australian/Doll AUD= 0.7860 0.7835 +0.32% +0.76% +0.7865 +0.7815 ar Euro/Swiss EURCHF= 1.1764 1.1737 +0.23% +0.64% +1.1775 +1.1734 Euro/Sterling EURGBP= 0.8903 0.8890 +0.15% +0.23% +0.8924 +0.8880 NZ NZD= 0.7159 0.7090 +0.97% +1.03% +0.7160 +0.7075 Dollar/Dollar Dollar/Norway NOK= 8.0570 8.1023 -0.56% -1.83% +8.1154 +8.0576 Euro/Norway EURNOK= 9.7262 9.7363 -0.10% -1.24% +9.7761 +9.7284 Dollar/Sweden SEK= 8.1305 8.1764 -0.10% -0.87% +8.1842 +8.1266 Euro/Sweden EURSEK= 9.8153 9.8248 -0.10% -0.24% +9.8337 +9.8064

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World FX rates in 2017    http://tmsnrt.rs/2egbfVh
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(Reporting by Gertrude Chavez-Dreyfuss; Editing by Meredith Mazzilli and Lisa Shumaker) ((gertrude.chavez@thomsonreuters.com; 646-223-6322; Reuters Messaging: rm://gertrude.chavez.reuters.com@reuters.net))

Keywords: GLOBAL FOREX/

Referenced Symbols:EFX,

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