The dollar was firmer in Asian Market opening trades today, helped higher by upbeat economic data though was headed for its second week of declines while commodities currencies slipped as traders rejigged their positions after this week\'s brisk rally. Better jobs and housing data and rising U.S. Treasury yields helped the dollar rise towards the end of the U.S. session yesterday, gains it is holding still. The dollar index was last at 93.72, up from the three-and-a-half week low of 93.494 it had touched a day earlier. The late gains were broad-based with the euro, sterling and Aussie dollar all losing ground on the greenback. Benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury yields were at 1.6967% slightly off from yesterday’s multi-month high of 1.7%. The commodity currency rally took a breather as the traders took profits. Brent crude which had risen above $86 dollars a barrel, tumbled late in the day, and was last at $84.66. In currencies today, the greenback dipped 0.34% against the safe-haven yen to 114.04. It had hit a four-year high of 114.67 against the Japanese currency on Wednesday. Sterling slipped 0.29% to $1.3791 while the euro was down 0.23% at $1.1626. The Indian rupee opened stronger with a gap of 04 paise at 74.82/83 against its previous session’s close of 74.86/87 and is expected to trade in a range between 74.70 – 75.00 band today.
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