The Dollar Index fell, paring a yearly advance, as signs the global recovery is gathering momentum spurred demand for higher-yielding assets.
South Korea’s won gained the most in two months versus the U.S. currency as the central bank forecast its current-account surplus will widen. The yen reached a seven-week high amid speculation China will allow the yuan to appreciate at a faster pace. The Australian dollar traded at the strongest since it was freely floated, South Africa’s rand rose to the strongest in three years, and the Swiss franc climbed to a record.
The Dollar Index, which IntercontinentalExchange Inc. uses to track the dollar against the currencies of six major U.S. trading partners, slipped 0.2% to 79.641. It’s headed for a 2.3% advance from the end of last year.
The dollar declined to $1.3244 per euro from $1.3225 in New York yesterday. The U.S. currency weakened to 0.9387 Swiss francs from 0.9456 francs, after touching a record low of 0.9374 francs. The franc appreciated as much as 0.8% to a record 1.2402 against the euro.
Data today may show U.S. initial jobless claims declined. First-time filings for U.S. jobless insurance decreased to 415,000 in the week ended Dec. 25 from 420,000 in the previous week, according to a survey of economists before the Labor Department data.
