The US dollar hit its lowest level in more than a year against a basket of major rivals on Friday a day after the European Central Bank's chief abstained from talking down the euro, while obstacles to US President Donald Trump's policy agenda also weighed. ECB President Mario Draghi said on Thursday that financing conditions remained broadly supportive, and noted that the euro's appreciation had "received some attention." However, he did not cite that strength as a problem nor did he directly try to talk the currency down.
Draghi's apparent lack of concern about the strengthening euro convinced traders that the central bank remained on track to potentially begin tapering its bond-buying stimulus later this year. The dollar index touched 93.952, its lowest level since June of last year, and was last down 0.3 percent at 94.032. The euro touched $1.1677, its highest level against the dollar in nearly two years, and was last up 0.2 percent on the day at $1.1653.
"The fact that Draghi didn't necessarily argue too much against the strength of the euro ... certainly gave the greenlight for individuals to want to own the currency again or actually add to their positions," said Dean Popplewell, chief currency strategist at Oanda in Toronto.
The dollar touched a more than four-week low against the yen of 111.09 yen. In addition to traders' expectations that the ECB was staying the course toward tightening monetary policy, investigations into alleged Russian meddling in the US election and possible collusion with Trump's campaign were viewed as obstacles to the administration's pro-growth agenda and negative for the dollar. The dollar also touched its lowest against the Swiss franc in more than a year at 0.9468 franc. The euro was last on track to gain 1.6 percent for the week, which would mark its second straight weekly rise against the dollar.
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