* Pound hits 2 1/2-year high as EU chief says agreement
closer
* Bitcoin rises to all-time high above $22,000
* Graphic: World FX rates in 2020 https://tmsnrt.rs/2RBWI5E
By Kevin Buckland
TOKYO, Dec 17 (Reuters) - The dollar set fresh 2-1/2-year
lows against major peers including the British pound and euro on
Thursday as progress toward agreeing a U.S. stimulus package and
a Brexit deal boosted risk appetite at the expense of the safest
assets.
Congressional negotiators were "closing in on" a $900
billion COVID-19 aid bill, lawmakers and aides said on
Wednesday, with the tone the most positive it's been in months.
Across the Atlantic, the European Union's chief executive
said a deal with the UK was nearer, although success wasn't
guaranteed. "As the world gets more optimistic about the outlook for
growth in 2021, the dollar has softened," said Michael McCarthy,
chief strategist at broker CMC Markets in Sydney.
"Further weakening of the dollar is on the cards."
The dollar index =USD sank as low as 89.97 in Asian
trading, breaking below 90 for the first time since April 2018.
The euro changed hands at $1.22305 EUR=EBS , after earlier
reaching $1.2235, also the strongest since April 2018.
The pound bought $1.3557 GBP= having risen to $1.3564 for
the first time since May 2018.
The Federal Reserve on Wednesday vowed to keep funnelling
cash into financial markets until the U.S. economic recovery is
secure, a promise of long-term help that fell short of some
investors' hopes of an immediate move to shore up a recent
pandemic-related slide. The dollar index jerked higher after the Fed's announcement,
but the respite was short-lived.
"The U.S.' long-term yield is too low to finance its current
account deficit," said Minori Uchida, chief currency strategist
at MUFG Bank in Tokyo.
"As long as U.S. long-term yields stay at very low levels,
the dollar will be weaker," with scope to fall by as much as 10%
against rivals like the euro, yen and Chinese yuan, he said.
The greenback slid to 103.280 yen JPY=EBS , also a safe
haven currency, and Uchida said it could break 100 by March.
The onshore yuan CNY=CFXS traded at 6.5369 per dollar,
while its offshore counterpart CNH=EBS changed hands at
6.5117, near the 6.4975 level it reached earlier this month for
the first time since June 2018.
Meanwhile, the Swiss franc was little changed after touching
a six-year high of 0.8826 per dollar on Wednesday, when the U.S.
Treasury labeled Switzerland a currency manipulator.
The Treasury said that through June 2020 both Switzerland
and Vietnam had intervened in currency markets to prevent
effective balance of payments adjustments. In Europe, while talks for a trade deal have progressed,
fishing rights remain a particular sticking point as the UK
prepares to exit the trading bloc at the turn of the year.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's aide said on Wednesday
that no deal was still the most likely outcome.
"Forex traders appear largely unfazed by the possibility of
a no deal exit," said CMC's McCarthy.
"The strength in sterling is remarkable."
The Australian dollar touched 75.975 U.S. cents AUD= , the
highest since June 2018. Its New Zealand peer reached 71.41 U.S.
cents NZD= , a level unseen since April 2018.
Bitcoin traded as high as $22,394 after smashing through the
$20,000 barrier for the first time overnight. "Bitcoin is still on its latest tear," Ray Attrill, head of
foreign exchange strategy at National Australia Bank in Sydney,
wrote in a client note.
"I still don't want one for Christmas."
========================================================
Currency bid prices at 3:45PM (645 GMT)
Description RIC Last U.S. Close Pct Change YTD Pct High Bid Low Bid
Previous Change
Session
Euro/Dollar EUR=EBS $1.2228 $1.2202 +0.22% +9.08% +1.2235 +1.2189
Dollar/Yen JPY=D3 103.2500 103.4350 -0.14% -4.90% +103.5470 +103.2750
Euro/Yen EURJPY= 126.26 126.19 +0.06% +3.53% +126.3800 +126.0600
Dollar/Swiss CHF=EBS 0.8837 0.8849 -0.10% -8.64% +0.8857 +0.8838
Sterling/Dollar GBP=D3 1.3552 1.3511 +0.33% +2.21% +1.3562 +1.3499
Dollar/Canadian CAD=D3 1.2712 1.2738 -0.19% -2.13% +1.2749 +1.2711
Aussie/Dollar AUD=D3 0.7593 0.7579 +0.22% +8.24% +0.7596 +0.7568
NZ NZD=D3 0.7133 0.7114 +0.30% +6.03% +0.7138 +0.7104
Dollar/Dollar
All spots FX=
Tokyo spots AFX=
Europe spots EFX=
Volatilities FXVOL=
Tokyo Forex market info from BOJ TKYFX
(Editing by Shri Navaratnam and Jacqueline Wong & Shri
Navaratnam)