Forexpros – The U.S. dollar was broadly higher against its major counterparts on Tuesday, as risk appetite ebbed amid renewed concerns over the outlook for global economic growth.
During European morning trade, the greenback was up against the euro, with EUR/USD shedding 0.50% to hit 1.4438.
On Monday, European Central Bank President Jean-Claude Trichet said that growth in the euro zone could be weaker than expected in the months ahead, indicating that the central bank may keep interest rates on hold for the rest of this year.
The greenback was also higher against the pound, with GBP/USD down 0.41% to hit 1.6339.
Earlier in the day, official data showed that U.K. net lending to individuals rose less-than-expected in July, while mortgage approvals rose in line with expectations.
In addition, the greenback was lower against the yen and the Swiss franc, with USD/JPY slipping 0.16% to hit 76.70 and USD/CHF sliding 0.09% to hit 0.8149.
Earlier Tuesday, data showed that Switzerland’s UBS consumption indicator declined in July, falling to its lowest level since December 2009, as the stronger franc weighed.
In Japan, official data showed that the unemployment rate rose for the second month in a row last month, while a separate report showed that retail sales rose less-than-expected.
Meanwhile, the greenback was stronger against its Canadian and Australian counterparts but was lower against its New Zealand cousin, with USD/CAD rising 0.22% to hit 0.9790, AUD/USD slipping 0.14% to hit 1.0641 and NZD/USD climbing 0.46% to hit 0.8499.
Official data released earlier showed that the number of building permits issued in New Zealand in July rose the most since April 2008, jumping 0.13%.
In Australia, a government report showed that building approvals rose for the first time in four months in July, rising 1.0% but were still below expectations for a 2.1% increase.
The dollar index, which tracks the performance of the greenback versus a basket of six other major currencies, was up 0.40% to hit 74.06.
Later in the day, the U.S. was to release data on consumer confidence as well as an industry report on house price inflation. In addition, the Federal Reserve’s Open Market Committee was to publish the minutes of its August rate-setting meeting.
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