Dollar recovers against Asian currencies

The dollar recouped losses against Asian currencies after an upbeat US manufacturing report and a drop in oil prices.
JAPANESE YEN: The yen eased in the past week as investors chased the dollar against the Japanese currency, based on interest rate differentials between the two countries, dealers said.
The yen changed hands at 115.90 to the dollar on Friday, down from 115.45 a week earlier.
The Japanese unit gained ground against the dollar earlier this week after a series of tame economic indicators which suggested a slowdown in the US economy.
But the yen fell back on Friday after a better-than-expected US manufacturing report and a drop in oil prices sent the dollar up, dealers said.
"The market now lacks strong and convincing leads to move the dollar-yen in either direction, so participants react to any single US data," Mitsubishi UFJ Securities forex dealer Minoru Shioiri said.
The Federal Reserve last week suspended two years of back-to-back monthly interest rate rises.
But "there are still interest rate differentials between Japan and the US even though US interest rate hikes are said to be at a peak while the pace of Japan's rate hikes is slow," he said.
The Bank of Japan is expected to lift rates, either later this year or in 2007, after ending its unorthodox five-year policy of zero-interest rates.
AUSTRALIAN DOLLAR: The Australian dollar is expected to trade higher next week on the back of Reserve Bank of Australia governor Ian Macfarlane's assessment that an interest rate hike was likely before year's end, dealers said.
The Australian dollar was trading at 76.06 US cents late Friday, down from the previous week's 76.80 US cents.
Westpac economist Jonathan Cavenagh said Macfarlane's comment to a parliamentary committee Friday would underpin the Australian currency.
He said Macfarlane's statement meant there would probably be more policy tightening after two rate hikes in May and August took the official base rate to a six-year high of 6.0 percent.
"If you read between the lines all the risks are towards the upside," Cavenagh said.
"We think they will raise rates again, and that will provide some near-term strength for the currency."
An interest rate rise would increase Australia's interest rate differential with the United States, making the Australian currency more attractive to international investors.
NEW ZEALAND DOLLAR: The New Zealand dollar ended the week at 64.04 US cents, up from 63.50 the previous Friday.
The kiwi should stay around present levels as it had failed to break through 64.50 US cents in recent months, said ANZ Bank technical analyst Mark Elliott.
The ASB Bank said there could be further near-term gains as a short market has been surprised by the generally resilient local economic data.
CHINESE YUAN: The yuan ended Friday at 7.9745 to the dollar on the exchange-traded market, compared with 7.9760 a week before, traders said.
The yuan traded between 7.9780-7.9720 on Friday, according to a dealer with a domestic bank.
Friday's central parity rate for the yuan was set at 7.9736 to the dollar.
The People's Bank of China has a daily yuan-dollar trading band of 0.3 percent on either side of the midpoint.
HONG KONG DOLLAR: The US-dollar pegged Hong Kong dollar closed the week nearly flat at 7.777, from the previous week's close of 7.773.
INDONESIAN RUPIAH: The Indonesian rupiah traded at 9,090-9,095 to the dollar on Wednesday before closing for the week, compared to 9,072-9,077 on the previous Friday.
PHILIPPINE PESO: The Philippine peso rose to 51.115 to the dollar on Friday, from 51.25 the week before.
SINGAPORE DOLLAR: The dollar closed at 1.5742 Singapore dollars on Friday from 1.5755 the previous week.
SOUTH KOREAN WON: The won closed at 958.60 won per dollar Friday, compared with 961.80 won a week earlier, reflecting a global weakness of the US currency.
The dollar is expected to move between 955 and 964 won in the coming week, dealers said.
TAIWAN DOLLAR: The Taiwan dollar fell 0.07 percent this week to close on Friday at 32.667 against the US dollar, as compared with 32.644 a week earlier.
THAI BAHT: The Thai baht fell slightly against the dollar over the week due to intervention by the Bank of Thailand to soften the unit to help exporters, dealers said.
The Thai unit closed Friday at 37.50-57 baht to the greenback, compared to 37.33-40 a week earlier.