- Safehaven bids underpin support for yen
- Norwegian crown rises after Norges Bank strips easing bias
- Kiwi jumps after RBNZ sees positive prospects for growth
(Updates market action, changes dateline, previously LONDON)
The dollar was flat against a basket of currencies on Thursday as low U.S. bond yields offset in-line data on domestic jobless claims and home prices, keeping it close to the one-month peak it reached earlier this week.
The yen garnered some safe-haven demand on initial weakness on Wall Street and softness in other major stock markets.
The Norwegian crown and the New Zealand dollar were the notable gainers in a quiet trading session after their countries' central banks showed confidence in their economic outlook.
The dollar had strengthened following the Federal Reserve's decision to raise U.S. interest rates last week and leave the door open for another increase by year-end despite a recent softening of inflation.
The bounce faded as doubts crept in as to whether the modest current economic expansion warrants further rate increases and while the Fed plans to shrink its $4.5 trillion balance sheet.
"The market has not bought into the Fed's hawkish rhetoric," said Boris Schlossberg, managing director of FX strategy at BK Asset Management in New York. "The market is dubious about U.S. growth in the second half of the year. That's having a mild negative effect on the dollar."
The U.S. bond market has reflected traders' doubts as the yield curve on Wednesday flattened to levels not seen in nearly a decade.
The yield curve stabilized on Thursday in reaction to reports showing a continuingly tight labor market and home prices that appreciated in April more than what traders expected.
An index that tracks the dollar against six major currencies .DXY was 0.05 percent lower at 97.509. It reached an one-month high of 97.871 on Tuesday.
The euro EUR= was 0.1 percent lower at $1.1157, while the dollar was fractionally weaker at 111.35 yen JPY= .
The yen was 0.1 percent firmer against the euro at 124.22 yen EURJPY= , with the pan-European STOXX 600 .STOXX down 0.04 percent.
The Dow .DJI and S&P 500 .SPX were modestly higher. Among other currencies, the Norwegian crown rose after Norway's central bank lifted its rate forecasts for 2017 and 2018 and said a rate cut was no longer likely.
It was last up 0.55 percent at 8.4826 crowns per dollar NOK= and up 0.6 percent at 9.4670 crowns per euro EURNOK=D4 .
Meanwhile, the kiwi NZD=D4 rose 0.7 percent to $0.7267 after the Reserve Bank of New Zealand rang several upbeat notes in its outlook for growth and impact of current exchange rates.
======================================================== Currency bid prices at 11:25AM (1525 GMT)Description RIC Last U.S. Close Pct Change YTD Pct Previous Change Session Euro/Dollar EUR= $1.1159 $1.1166 -0.06% +6.14% Dollar/Yen JPY= 111.3600 111.3700 -0.01% -4.71% Euro/Yen EURJPY= 124.26 124.36 -0.08% +0.91% Dollar/Swiss CHF= 0.9721 0.9724 -0.03% -4.49% Sterling/Dollar GBP= 1.2667 1.2668 -0.01% +2.68% Dollar/Canadian CAD= 1.3220 1.3332 -0.84% -1.56% Australian/Doll AUD= 0.7545 0.7550 -0.07% +4.57% arEuro/Swiss EURCHF= 1.0848 1.0858 -0.09% +1.22% Euro/Sterling EURGBP= 0.8806 0.8812 -0.07% +3.38% NZ NZD= 0.7267 0.7223 +0.61% +4.70% Dollar/DollarDollar/Norway NOK= 8.4875 8.5304 -0.50% -1.73% Euro/Norway EURNOK= 9.4710 9.5242 -0.56% +4.24% Dollar/Sweden SEK= 8.7339 8.7446 -0.19% -4.10% Euro/Sweden EURSEK= 9.7472 9.7656 -0.19% +1.75% <^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ World FX rates in 2017 http://tmsnrt.rs/2egbfVh^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^> ((For Reuters Live Markets blog on European and UK stock markets see reuter//realtime/verb=Open/url=http://emea1.apps.cp.extranet.thomsonreuters.biz/cms/?pageId=livemarkets))
