Euro licks wounds after last week's beating

The euro teetered above Friday's multi-month lows against the dollar and yen today.

The euro teetered above Friday's multi-month lows against the dollar and yen today.

Dealers are waiting to see if economic data this week would justify the recent shift from bonds into growth-oriented equity markets.

The euro suffered its biggest weekly fall in more than two years last week as renewed confidence in a global recovery sent investors out of safe-haven euro zone bonds - a popular defensive trade at the start of the year - and into stocks.

Trade was thin with London closed for a holiday, but activity was set to pick up tomorrow with the release of Germany's Ifo business climate index and US durable goods and consumer confidence data.

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"The euro is consolidating after coming under a lot of pressure last week," said Ms Geraldine Concagh, economist at AIB Group Treasury in Dublin. "People are looking ahead to a heavy data schedule this week and more strong US numbers could push the euro below the $1.08 level."

The euro was little changed at $1.0878 in early European trade, but still within half a cent of four-month lows hit on Friday. It stood at 127.85 yen, half a yen above Friday's five-month low.

A pause in the recent global stock market rally also gave respite to the Swiss franc, which fell on Friday to its lowest against the dollar in over a year.