* U.S. stimulus talks to resume -CNBC, citing Schumer
* Euro getting above $1.1850 opens way for move higher -analyst
* Sterling falls on Brexit worries
* Graphic: World FX rates in 2020 https://tmsnrt.rs/2RBWI5E
(Recasts; adds new comment, Senator Schumer's news; updates prices)
By Gertrude Chavez-Dreyfuss
NEW YORK, Nov 19 (Reuters) - The dollar slid for a sixth straight session on Thursday, after trading
higher for most of the day, on reports that U.S. Senate Republican leaders have agreed to resume
negotiations on another coronavirus stimulus package.
CNBC reported that top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer said on Thursday that Republican Majority Leader
Mitch McConnell has agreed to resume COVID-19 relief talks as cases surge across the country. The report led to a bounce in stocks, pushed the euro to a session high versus the dollar, and pared
losses in currencies that benefit from higher risk appetite such as the Australian dollar and the
Norwegian crown.
Prior to the Nov. 3 U.S. election, financial markets had been riveted by the back-and-forth from
lawmakers during the stimulus talks. In the end though, investors were resigned to the fact that any
stimulus plan would be passed after President-elect Joe Biden takes office in January.
"The euro bottomed out against the dollar hours ago and technically when we got above $1.1850, the
move higher accelerated," said Marc Chandler, chief market strategist at Bannockburn Forex.
"I think the market is relatively thin and when the Schumer news hit, it further opened the door. The
market is still sensitive to news about the stimulus," he added.
In late afternoon trading, an index which tracks the dollar against a basket of currencies was down
0.2% at 92.299 =USD .
The dollar, though, remains caught in a tug-of-war between the upbeat outlook arising from positive
vaccine news as well as the relentless rise in coronavirus infections that forced localized shutdowns
around the world.
The surge in coronavirus cases is supposedly positive for the safe-haven dollar.
The U.S. death toll from COVID-19 surpassed 250,000 on Wednesday as New York City's public school
system, the country's largest, halted in-person instruction, citing a jump in infection rates.
The euro rose 0.2% against the dollar to $1.1875 EUR=EBS .
With fiscal stimulus plans remaining uncertain, speculation is growing that the Federal Reserve may
further loosen monetary policy in December.
Two Fed officials on Wednesday held out the option of doing more, and Treasuries have rallied in
anticipation of a possible expansion of U.S. central bank bond-buying. The dollar was little changed against the yen at 103.81 yen JPY=EBS . The yen has gained about 1.4%
since Pfizer Inc PFE.N announced promising trial results for its COVID-19 vaccine.
The greenback showed little reaction after the Labor Department reported that U.S. weekly jobless
claims increased to a seasonally-adjusted 742,000 for the week ended Nov. 14. Economists polled by Reuters
had forecast 707,000 applications for the latest week. Elsewhere, sterling dipped 0.2% to $1.3255 GBP=D3 against the dollar after the Times newspaper
reported that European leaders will urge the European Commission to publish no-deal Brexit plans as the
year-end deadline approaches. Bitcoin BTC=BTSP , meanwhile, rose 1.2% on Thursday to $18,004, not far from the all-time high of
nearly $20,000 reached three years ago.
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Currency bid prices at 3:37PM (2037 GMT)
Description RIC Last U.S. Close Pct Change YTD Pct High Bid Low Bid
Previous Change
Session
Dollar index =USD 92.2710 92.4740 -0.21% +0.00% +92.7270 +92.2660
Euro/Dollar EUR=EBS $1.1878 $1.1854 +0.22% +5.96% +1.1880 +1.1817
Dollar/Yen JPY=D3 103.7950 103.8200 -0.04% -4.45% +104.2100 +103.7450
Euro/Yen EURJPY= 123.28 123.05 +0.19% +1.10% +123.3200 +122.8500
Dollar/Swiss CHF=EBS 0.9106 0.9112 -0.04% -5.88% +0.9139 +0.9106
Sterling/Dollar GBP=D3 1.3266 1.3268 -0.02% +0.02% +1.3268 +1.3198
Dollar/Canadian CAD=D3 1.3065 1.3085 -0.14% +0.59% +1.3122 +1.3060
Aussie/Dollar AUD=D3 0.7294 0.7306 -0.14% +3.97% +0.7305 +0.7255
Euro/Swiss EURCHF= 1.0815 1.0796 +0.18% -0.34% +1.0819 +1.0791
Euro/Sterling EURGBP= 0.8951 0.8931 +0.22% +5.88% +0.8963 +0.8924
NZ NZD=D3 0.6924 0.6923 -0.06% +2.82% +0.6925 +0.6879
Dollar/Dollar
Dollar/Norway NOK=D3 8.9845 9.0045 +0.07% +2.72% +9.0920 +9.0105
Euro/Norway EURNOK= 10.6761 10.6880 -0.11% +8.52% +10.7485 +10.6703
Dollar/Sweden SEK= 8.5913 8.5980 +0.22% -8.09% +8.6569 +8.5877
Euro/Sweden EURSEK= 10.2059 10.1835 +0.22% -2.52% +10.2345 +10.1787