NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- The dollar softened Friday as investors regained some tolerance for risk despite ongoing concerns that Greece's debt problems could spread.
What prices are doing: The dollar was down almost 1% versus the euro to $1.3490 and fell 0.6% against the U.K. pound to $1.5373. Against the Japanese yen, the dollar slid 0.2% to ¥93.18.
What's moving the market: The euro regained some ground after Greek yield spreads narrowed slightly, while remaining near historic highs.
The spread between yields on Greek bonds versus those of other countries spiked earlier this week amid doubts that Athens will be able to contain its growing fiscal crisis, raising concerns of a broader debt contagion.
However, European Central Bank president Jean-Claude Trichet said Thursday that default "is not an issue" for Greece. He reiterated his support for the plan European leaders came up with for Greece, which involves aid from the International Monetary Fund.
Traders are also considering the possibility that China could alter its policy towards the yuan, also known as the renminbi. While no official announcement has been made, there is much speculation that Chinese officials could allow the yuan to appreciate versus the dollar.
What analysts are saying: "The market continues to wait for news of political developments regarding the renminbi-USD exchange rate," Sacha Tihanyi, currency strategist at Scotia Capital, wrote in a research report.
Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner's surprise visit to Beijing on Thursday brought nothing new on that front, he said.
"Though the meeting itself lowers some of the perception of heightened political tensions between the two nations and at the very least opens the door to action in the not too distant future," he added.
Overnight Avg Rate | Latest | Change | Last Week |
---|---|---|---|
30 yr fixed | 3.80% | 3.88% | |
15 yr fixed | 3.20% | 3.23% | |
5/1 ARM | 3.84% | 3.88% | |
30 yr refi | 3.82% | 3.93% | |
15 yr refi | 3.20% | 3.23% |
Today's featured rates:
Index | Last | Change | % Change |
---|---|---|---|
Dow | 32,627.97 | -234.33 | -0.71% |
Nasdaq | 13,215.24 | 99.07 | 0.76% |
S&P 500 | 3,913.10 | -2.36 | -0.06% |
Treasuries | 1.73 | 0.00 | 0.12% |
Company | Price | Change | % Change |
---|---|---|---|
Ford Motor Co | 8.29 | 0.05 | 0.61% |
Advanced Micro Devic... | 54.59 | 0.70 | 1.30% |
Cisco Systems Inc | 47.49 | -2.44 | -4.89% |
General Electric Co | 13.00 | -0.16 | -1.22% |
Kraft Heinz Co | 27.84 | -2.20 | -7.32% |
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