Dollar firm

The dollar stayed on the defensive on Thursday as investors added to long positions in growth-linked currencies and lifted the Australian dollar to a one-year peak, encouraged by growing evidence of a global recovery. Asian stocks tracked Wall Street higher after US industrial production rose more than expected in August boosting sentiment towards riskier assets.
The sustained shift away from the US dollar left the dollar index subdued at 76.226, near 1-year lows of 76.151 struck on Wednesday and with charts pointing to a gradual fall to 2008 levels of around 70.70. The Australian dollar rose to a one-year peak of $0.8757 with its next targets seen at $0.8813 and then $0.8907. In early afternoon trade in Asia, the Australian dollar edged up 0.2 percent to $0.8743.
The New Zealand dollar, which advanced nearly 1.4 percent on Wednesday, was holding steady at $0.7134 with little resistance seen until $0.7200. The euro inched up 0.1 percent to $1.4729, hovering near a one-year high of $1.4738 struck on trading platform EBS on Wednesday.
The euro has now gained over 2.5 percent this month, riding on improved investor confidence and expectations that US rates are likely to stay rock bottom for some time to come. But the recent rally in the euro could run out of steam. The yen was broadly lower with the euro gaining 0.3 percent to 134.20 yen and the Aussie climbing 0.4 percent to 79.63 yen.
The US dollar also rose 0.2 percent to 91.10 yen as some traders covered their short positions after it fell as far as 90.12 yen on EBS the previous day, a 7-month low. On Wednesday, the dollar's slide against the yen picked up pace after Japan's Finance Minister Hirohisa Fujii said a strong yen had advantages for the nation's economy.
Fujii also said he was opposed to currency intervention if movements were gradual, while adding that currency moves were not rapid. The yen's rise against the dollar on Wednesday was small despite Fujii's clear opposition to intervention, prompting traders to think twice about buying the yen at the moment, some traders said.
Reflecting investors' cautious views on the Japanese economy, the market showed muted reaction when the Bank of Japan on Thursday upgraded its assessment of the economy. The central bank said improving exports and output heighten the chance the economy will meet its forecast of a moderate pick-up early next year.