The euro soared to a two-week high against the dollar on Thursday, bolstered by a pledge from European Central Bank chief Mario Draghi that the bank would do whatever it takes to preserve the single currency. The euro was also lifted by stronger risk appetite after a report showed the number of Americans filing new claims for jobless benefits fell last week to near a four-year low, a hopeful sign for a labor market that has shown signs of weakness.
The euro rose to a two-week high of $1.2329, using Reuters data, well above a session low of $1.2116 touched earlier in the global trading day before Draghi's comments. It was the euro's best one-day performance since June 29. The euro was last up 1.1 percent at $1.2292. The euro also gained more than 1 percent against the Japanese yen to 96.17 yen.