* Dollar index rebounds from 2-1/2-year low as stocks
retreat
* Sterling under pressure after UK prime minister orders
lockdown
* Graphic: World FX rates in 2020 https://tmsnrt.rs/2RBWI5E
By Kevin Buckland
TOKYO, Jan 5 (Reuters) - The dollar found support as
concerns about surging COVID-19 cases and uncertainty about U.S.
runoff elections in Georgia fueled demand for safer assets.
The greenback held gains from overnight in early Asian
trading on Tuesday after U.S. stocks retreated from record highs
at the start of the new year.
The British pound was under pressure as Prime Minister Boris
Johnson ordered a nationwide lockdown to try and slow a
fast-spreading coronavirus variant. Sterling was little changed at $1.3572 GBP= early in the
Asian session. It slid 0.73% on Monday, the most since Dec. 10,
after earlier rising to $1.3703, a level not seen since May
2018.
The dollar index was flat at 89.865 after rebounding Monday
from a 2-1/2-year low of 89.415.
"The dollar will continue to trade with the general risk
sentiment," said Shinichiro Kadota, senior currency strategist
at Barclays Capital in Tokyo.
The dollar has seen some buying amid an increase in COVID
cases and ahead of key U.S. Senate elections, he said, but
ultimately "generally positive risk sentiment should continue
this year, and with that dollar continues to weaken against
riskier currencies."
The fate of U.S. President-elect Joe Biden's agenda,
including rewriting the tax code, boosting stimulus and
infrastructure spending, hinges firmly on Tuesday's twin Senate
races in the battleground state of Georgia that will determine
control of the chamber. The safe-haven Japanese yen was little changed at 103.135
per dollar JPY=EBS . It advanced to 102.715 on Monday, the
strongest level since March, as Japan's prime minister said the
government is considering a state of emergency for Tokyo amid a
surge in coronavirus cases. The euro was steady at $1.22535 EUR=EBS after reaching
$1.231 on Monday for the first time since April 2018.
Bitcoin traded at $32,860 BTC=BTSP following a
roller-coaster ride to start the new year that took it to a
record high of $34,800 on Sunday, followed by a tumble to as low
as $27,734 the following session.
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Currency bid prices at 9:45AM (045 GMT)
Description RIC Last U.S. Close Pct Change YTD Pct High Bid Low Bid
Previous Change
Session
Euro/Dollar EUR=EBS $1.2254 $1.2252 +0.03% +0.30% +1.2255 +1.2247
Dollar/Yen JPY=D3 103.1250 103.1750 -0.04% -0.15% +103.1750 +103.1350
Euro/Yen EURJPY= 126.37 126.33 +0.03% -0.43% +126.4000 +126.3200
Dollar/Swiss CHF=EBS 0.8813 0.8812 +0.03% -0.36% +0.8816 +0.8815
Sterling/Dollar GBP=D3 1.3572 1.3562 +0.10% -0.64% +1.3577 +1.3562
Dollar/Canadian CAD=D3 1.2778 1.2775 +0.03% +0.35% +1.2788 +1.2778
Aussie/Dollar AUD=D3 0.7669 0.7665 +0.08% -0.28% +0.7672 +0.7661
NZ NZD=D3 0.7175 0.7175 +0.06% -0.03% +0.7178 +0.7170
Dollar/Dollar
All spots FX=
Tokyo spots AFX=
Europe spots EFX=
Volatilities FXVOL=
Tokyo Forex market info from BOJ TKYFX