German business morale deteriorated in April, bucking expectations for a small improvement, as trade tensions hurt the industrial engine of Europe's largest economy.

The euro fell 0.32pc to $1.1189, close to the lowest it has been since early March. The greenback, by contrast, was supported by strong US housing data, the latest signal the American economy is outperforming rivals.

"The broader importance of the German data is that market participants had been hoping that the rebound in Chinese monetary conditions, in lending in China, would help to boost demand for German exports and would lift spirits in the euro zone's core economies," said Karl Schamotta, director of foreign exchange strategy and structured products at Cambridge Global Payments.

"We are seeing successive prints that show that Germans are not necessarily turning more positive here," said Schamotta.

"Trade pressure and concerns about global protectionism are weighing over Europe's overall external position and challenging its growth trajectory. We are looking at underperformance relative to the US for now," he said..

The dollar index, which measures the US currency versus a basket of six major rivals, was up 0.13pc at 97.766, its highest since June 2017.

Investors will watch the release on Friday of US gross domestic product data for the first three months of 2019, for signs of whether the United States remains stronger than other leading economies.

On Wednesday, the Australian dollar fell 0.99% after weaker-than-expected Australian inflation numbers heightened the prospect of an interest rate cut.

The pound held at a two-month low on Wednesday, weighed down by a broad-based rally in the dollar and fading hopes of a breakthrough in Brexit talks between the British government and the opposition.

The Canadian dollar weakened to a nearly seven-week low against its US counterpart, investors awaited an interest rate decision from the Bank of Canada.