Higher-risk currencies gained for the most part overnight as US stocks gained, supporting the case that the region’s recovery is in full swing.
US stocks rose for a second day as a drop in wholesale inventories and improvement in corporate bond markets added to signs the economy is strengthening.
The equity gain overshadowed concerns China will raise interest rates and provided some grunt for the euro, which has been volatile over recent weeks.
The euro exchange rate gained over one percent, to 123.62 yen and added 0.4%, to US$1.3657 overnight.
The pound exchange rate fell a tad against the greenback but was up half a percent, to 135.57 yen.
Meanwhile closer to home, the New Zealand dollar depreciated when retail sales failed to meet expectations.
Looking to the Australian dollar, the Australian exchange rate with the US remains strong and has traded between the band of $0.86 and $0.94 since early October 2009. More recently, unemployment figures had impacted the currency pair to trade within a slim range.