(New throughout)
By Kate Duguid
NEW YORK, Dec 30 (Reuters) - Thin end-of-year volume on
Monday exacerbated weakness in the U.S. dollar, which dipped for
its third straight session as investors favored riskier assets.
The dollar index .DXY , which measures the currency against
a basket of rivals, weakened 0.18% to 96.743 in North American
trade. On Friday the index suffered its biggest one-day fall
since March, which left its gains for the year around 0.6%,
compared with a gain of about 4.4% in 2018.
"The dollar headed lower on the second-to-last trading day
of the year... with ultra-thin liquidity conditions exacerbating
foreign exchange moves," wrote analysts at Action Economics.
"Dollar weakness has been widespread through the session,
leaving the dollar index near six-month lows. News that the
'Phase 1' U.S.-China trade deal will be signed this week has
prompted some USD selling, as safe-haven flows are reversed into
year-end."
The White House's trade adviser, Peter Navarro, on Monday
said the U.S.-China Phase 1 trade deal would likely be signed in
the next week, but said confirmation would come from President
Donald Trump or the U.S. Trade Representative. In an interview on Fox News, Navarro cited a report that
Chinese Vice Premier Liu He would visit this week to sign the
deal, but did not confirm it.
"Washington has sent an invitation and Beijing has accepted
it," the South China Morning Post reported on Monday, quoting a
source.
In addition to knocking the dollar, increased optimism about
U.S.-China trade relations and an improved global growth outlook
drove investors out of other safe-haven assets like U.S.
Treasury bonds. The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note
US10YT=RR was last up 2.2 basis points to 1.895%.
China's yuan strengthened to touch 6.974 CNH= in the
offshore market, its highest since Dec. 13.
Investor appetite for risk also helped drive the euro EUR=
to a 4-1/2-month high of $1.121 on Monday. It was last up 0.23%
at $1.120. Signs that the euro zone economy has turned a corner
have lifted the single currency in recent weeks.
Sterling GBP= was last trading 0.26% stronger against the
dollar at $1.311.
Against the euro, the pound gave back early gains and was
last up just 0.04% at 85.38 pence. Concerns that Britain is
headed for a disruptive "hard Brexit" at the end of 2020 have
hurt the pound since mid-December.