The dollar declined against a basket of currencies on Thursday, pulling further away from the 14-year high it set earlier this week as traders booked profits and brushed off mostly upbeat US economic data. The government said new orders for US capital goods rose more than forecast in November and that the economy grew faster in the third quarter than it had estimated. Jobless claims, however, rose to their highest since June.
"We do have some profit-taking," said Stephen Casey, senior currency trader at Cambridge Global Payments in New York. "Trading is pretty thin." On light trading ahead of Christmas, the dollar index, which measures the greenback against a group of six major currencies, was down 0.3 percent at 102.74 after reaching 103.65 on Tuesday, its highest since December 2002.
The dollar posted a series of multiyear highs after the US Federal Reserve's hint last week that it might raise interest rates up to three times in 2017, which was one more than what some traders had expected. The dollar rally that started six weeks ago has been underpinned by bets that US President-elect Donald Trump and a Republican-controlled Congress would slash taxes and boost federal spending, resulting in higher growth and inflation.
While the dollar retreated for the second straight day, the euro gained in the aftermath of plans to rescue Monte dei Paschi di Siena, Italy's second-biggest bank. The single currency hit a one-week high against the dollar, rebounding from a nearly 14-year low of $1.0350 set on Tuesday, Reuters data showed. It was last up 0.5 percent at $1.0480. The euro was up 0.4 percent at 123.03 yen. The dollar was down 0.1 percent at 117.40 yen.