Asian currencies ended the week mostly higher against the greenback as fears prevailed that lacklustre economic data and soaring oil prices could have a negative impact on the US economy.
JAPANESE YEN: The yen gained ground against the dollar during the week thanks to weak US economic data and record-breaking rises in oil prices that could hurt the world's largest economy, dealers said.
The Japanese unit stood at 109.01 to the greenback late Friday, compared with 111.75 a week earlier.
"The dollar is slightly weak due to lacklustre US economic data and concerns that spikes in oil prices will negatively affect the US economy," said Mitsuru Sahara, vice president at UFJ Bank's foreign exchange division.
The weak US data released on Thursday included the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia index which showed the pace of manufacturing activity slowed in the US mid-Atlantic region in August.
Junichi Kumagai, chief researcher at NLI research Institute, said: "In the short term, the focus is on how higher oil prices would affect the US and Japanese economies and to what extent."
But the yen still failed to break the 109 level against the dollar as few market players were aggressively selling the greenback in slow trading, a dealer said.
AUSTRALIAN DOLLAR: The Australian dollar is expected to push in with strong gains against the greenback next week as positive sentiment continues to lift the currency, dealers said.
The currency ended the week at 72.59 US cents, almost two US cents up on last week's 70.75 US cents.
ANZ Bank's weekly Australian dollar sentiment survey of its corporate and investor clients found most respondents felt the Australian dollar would rise in the coming week.
The survey showed 46 percent of clients expected the local unit to go up, 14 percent expected it to go down, and 39 percent were neutral.
NEW ZEALAND DOLLAR: New Zealand's dollar closed Friday worth 67.20 US cents, up from the 65.40 cents of a week earlier and at levels last seen early March.
SINGAPORE DOLLAR: The US dollar was at 1.7082 Singapore dollars on Friday from 1.7178 the previous week.
HONG KONG DOLLAR: Hong Kong's US-pegged dollar was at 7.7993 on Friday, from 7.799 the previous week.
INDONESIAN RUPIAH: The rupiah ended the week higher at 9,235-9,245 to the dollar compared with 9,275-9,280 the previous week.
PHILIPPINE PESO: The peso was lower at 55.720 to the dollar in late afternoon trading Friday, compared with 55.680 a week earlier.
SOUTH KOREAN WON: The won closed at 1,154.30 to the greenback Friday, compared with 1,162.30 the previous week, reflecting the dollar's loss against the euro and the Japanese yen amid worries about US economic prospects.
TAIWAN DOLLAR: The Taiwan dollar rose over the week to end at 34.046 against the greenback Friday, compared with 34.192 a week earlier.
THAI BAHT: The baht closed Friday at 41.43-45 to the greenback compared with the previous week's close of 41.55-58.
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