* U.S. jobless claims at more than 3 mln in latest week
* Euro rallies from two-week lows
* Turkish lira slumps to record low vs dollar, but recovers
* BoE leaves rates steady, holds off on stimulus
* Graphic: World FX rates in 2019 http://tmsnrt.rs/2egbfVh
(Recasts, adds new comment, updates prices)
By Gertrude Chavez-Dreyfuss
NEW YORK, May 7 (Reuters) - The dollar fell from two-week highs on Thursday, as investors booked
profits on the currency's gains this week before Friday's U.S. nonfarm payrolls report for April, which
could show massive job losses amid a COVID-19 pandemic that has ravaged the global economy.
The greenback gave up gains against the euro and the Swiss franc and pared its rise versus the yen.
Against commodity currencies such as the Australian and Canadian dollars, the U.S. unit extended its
losses.
Over the week, the dollar index was up 0.9%.
"My sense is that it's a case of profit-taking on the dollar's outperformance this week ahead of
tomorrow's jobs report," said Joe Manimbo, senior market analyst at Western Union Business Solutions in
Washington.
"We're just in a lull, and it's a good time to take profits off the table ahead of what is expected to
be a historically bad jobs report," he added.
The U.S. economy is expected to have lost about 22 million jobs last month, with an unemployment rate
of 16%, according to a Reuters poll.
On Thursday, data showed millions more Americans took unemployment aid from the government in the
latest week.
U.S. weekly jobless claims totaled a seasonally adjusted 3.169 million for the week ended May 2, down
from a revised 3.846 million in the prior week. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast 3.0 million
claims in the last week. The dollar held its gains after the data.
In afternoon trading, the dollar index fell 0.3% to 99.884 =USD , below a two-week high touched
earlier in the session of 100.40.
The dollar pared gains against the yen, and was last up 0.2% at 106.315 yen JPY=EBS . It fell 0.1%
against the Swiss franc to 0.9733 franc CHF=EBS .
After trading lower for most of the session, the euro recovered to trade 0.3% higher at $1.0825
EUR=EBS . The euro earlier dropped to a two-week low of $1.0767.
The single European currency had weakened on nagging concern over the direction of the European
Central Bank's stimulus scheme following a German court ruling earlier this week.
Sterling also rose 0.3% against the dollar at $1.2373 GBP=D3 amid the Bank of England's decision to
leave interest rates unchanged and hold off on more stimulus.
In emerging markets, Turkey's lira fell to a record low of 7.25 per U.S. dollar TRY= , after traders
interpreted comments from a Federal Reserve policymaker as ruling out a Fed swap line to cushion Ankara's
depleted reserves.
The dollar was last down 1.1% versus the lira at 7.1096.
Stronger-than-expected Chinese export numbers lifted hopes in global markets that China can rebound
quickly and help global growth recover from a coronavirus-induced shock.
Chinese exports rose 3.5% despite expectations of 15.7% drop, helping to lift the Chinese yuan
CNH=EBS in the offshore market and the Australian dollar. The yuan was last up 0.5% at 7.0927 per U.S.
dollar.
The Aussie dollar last traded up 1.4% at US$0.6492 AUD=D3 , while the Canadian dollar rose 1.2% to
C$1.3975 CAD=D3 per U.S dollar.
========================================================
Currency bid prices at 2:45 PM (1845 GMT)
Description RIC Last U.S. Close Pct Change YTD Pct High Bid Low Bid
Previous Change
Session
Euro/Dollar EUR= $1.0823 $1.0794 +0.27% -3.45% +1.0833 +1.0767
Dollar/Yen JPY= 106.2900 106.1400 +0.14% -2.36% +106.6500 +106.0000
Euro/Yen EURJPY= 115.04 114.53 +0.45% -5.67% +115.0900 +114.4700
Dollar/Swiss CHF= 0.9736 0.9748 -0.12% +0.60% +0.9783 +0.9730
Sterling/Dollar GBP= 1.2356 1.2341 +0.12% -6.81% +1.2416 +1.2267
Dollar/Canadian CAD= 1.3990 1.4143 -1.08% +7.73% +1.4173 +1.3953
Australian/Doll AUD= 0.6489 0.6400 +1.39% -7.58% +0.6505 +0.6379
ar
Euro/Swiss EURCHF= 1.0538 1.0524 +0.13% -2.89% +1.0541 +1.0525
Euro/Sterling EURGBP= 0.8758 0.8740 +0.21% +3.60% +0.8790 +0.8710
NZ NZD= 0.6079 0.6008 +1.18% -9.75% +0.6092 +0.5996
Dollar/Dollar
Dollar/Norway NOK= 10.2484 10.2876 -0.38% +16.75% +10.3390 +10.2082
Euro/Norway EURNOK= 11.0940 11.0980 -0.04% +12.77% +11.1561 +11.0170
Dollar/Sweden SEK= 9.8078 9.8433 -0.16% +4.93% +9.8640 +9.8029
Euro/Sweden EURSEK= 10.6164 10.6330 -0.16% +1.41% +10.6415 +10.6036