FOREX-Dollar inches up, commodity currencies higher as risk sentiment improves - Yahoo Finance

* Yen, Swiss franc rise on U.S. dollar profit-taking * New Zealand dollar rises to near 4-month high * Focus on U.S. Fed meeting, yield curve control this week * Graphic: World FX rates in 2019 http://tmsnrt.rs/2egbfVh (Recasts, adds new comment, FX table, updates prices, changes byline, dateline; previous LONDON) By Gertrude Chavez-Dreyfuss NEW YORK, June 8 (Reuters) - The U.S. dollar edged higher, while commodity currencies gained on Monday, as risk appetite ramped up on optimism about some recovery from the coronavirus pandemic amid a blockbuster U.S. jobs report last Friday. The safe-haven Japanese yen, meanwhile, rose against the dollar, reversing its downtrend in the midst of broad risk-taking the last several days. Analysts said recent dollar buying against the yen, prompted profit-taking in the greenback. "There has been this unwinding of negativity since the last week of May, particularly negative U.S.-China bets, said Erik Bregar, head of FX strategy, at Exchange Bank of Canada in Toronto. "There were expectations of U.S. retaliation because of what China has done to Hong Kong. But that didn't happen. There was never a risk to the Phase 1 trade deal with China," he added. Commodity currencies such as the Australian, New Zealand, and Canadian dollar were well-bid on Monday. The New Zealand dollar, for one, climbed to its highest in nearly four months after New Zealand said it had stopped transmission of the coronavirus within the country. New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Arden said on Monday the country would lift all virus-containment measures apart from border controls, making it one of the first countries to do so. In late morning trading, the dollar index was slightly up at 96.770 in choppy trading, after having gained overnight. The dollar fell sharply against the yen, down 0.7% at 108.82. It also dropped 0.6% against Swiss franc, another safe haven, to 0.9567. The euro was higher against the dollar despite data showing German industrial output plunged the most on record in April as the virus pandemic forced companies in Europe's largest economy to scale back production. The euro was last up 0.2% at $1.1306. It reached a three-month high of $1.1384 last week after the European Central Bank announced it was expanding its stimulus program. "Euro/dollar may be due some consolidation after a very strong rally, but we suspect the 1.1230/40 area offers good support now before EUR/USD advances to the 1.15/16 area," ING strategists wrote in a note to clients. The New Zealand dollar, meanwhile, rose 0.5% versus the greenback to US$0.6526, earlier hitting a high of US$0.6540, its strongest since Jan. 29. The Australian dollar also rose to US$0.6970. Investors are now focused on the U.S. Federal Reserve policy meeting this week. The Fed will need to balance signs that the economic fallout from the virus is past its worst with the evidence that the virus itself is not yet under control. ======================================================== Currency bid prices at 10:55AM (1455 GMT) Description RIC Last U.S. Close Pct Change YTD Pct High Bid Low Bid Previous Change Session Euro/Dollar EUR= $1.1298 $1.1284 +0.12% +0.79% +1.1319 +1.1269 Dollar/Yen JPY= 108.6600 109.5800 -0.84% -0.18% +109.6900 +108.5000 Euro/Yen EURJPY= 122.78 123.71 -0.75% +0.68% +124.1200 +122.5700 Dollar/Swiss CHF= 0.9564 0.9624 -0.62% -1.18% +0.9639 +0.9560 Sterling/Dollar GBP= 1.2694 1.2663 +0.24% -4.25% +1.2729 +1.2629 Dollar/Canadian CAD= 1.3385 1.3424 -0.29% +3.10% +1.3436 +1.3372 Australian/Doll AUD= 0.6985 0.6968 +0.24% -0.51% +0.7003 +0.6963 ar Euro/Swiss EURCHF= 1.0807 1.0860 -0.49% -0.41% +1.0889 +1.0804 Euro/Sterling EURGBP= 0.8898 0.8911 -0.15% +5.25% +0.8928 +0.8882 NZ NZD= 0.6531 0.6506 +0.38% -3.04% +0.6539 +0.6502 Dollar/Dollar Dollar/Norway NOK= 9.2713 9.2845 -0.14% +5.61% +9.3127 +9.2409 Euro/Norway EURNOK= 10.4774 10.5093 -0.30% +6.50% +10.5189 +10.4440 Dollar/Sweden SEK= 9.2095 9.1673 +0.40% -1.48% +9.2311 +9.1536 Euro/Sweden EURSEK= 10.4076 10.3663 +0.40% -0.57% +10.4257 +10.3557 (Reporting by Gertrude Chavez-Dreyfuss; Additional reporting by Elizabeth Howcroft in LONDON Editing by Nick Zieminski)

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