Investing.com - The dollar slipped lower against a basket of other major currencies in choppy trade on Friday, as markets eyed upcoming data on U.S. new home sales, while upbeat corporate earnings continued to lift market sentiment.
Investors remained cautious however, after The New York Times reported earlier Friday that a doctor in New York City, identified as Craig Spencer, tested positive for the Ebola virus after returning from treating patients in West Africa.
EUR/USD added 0.14% to 1.2667 after data on Friday showed that the Gfk German consumer climate index rose to 8.5 in October from 8.4 in September, whose figure was revised up from a previously estimated reading of 8.3.
Analysts had expected the index to fall to 8.0 this month.
GBP/USD edged up 0.17% to trade at 1.6058. In a preliminary report, the Office for National Statistics said U.K. gross domestic product rose 0.7% in the third quarter, in line with expectations, after a 0.9% increase in the three months to June.
Year-on-year, Britain's GDP rose at an annualized rate of 3.0% in the last quarter, as markets had anticipated, down from a 3.2% growth rate in the second quarter.
Elsewhere, the yen and the Swiss franc moved higher, with USD/JPY down 0.12% at 107.98 and with USD/CHF slipping 0.16% to 0.9525.
The commodity linked dollars were broadly stronger, with AUD/USD gaining 0.45% to 0.8801, NZD/USD advancing 0.40% to 0.7853, while USD/CAD slipped 0.14% to 1.1216.
The U.S. dollar index, which tracks the performance of the greenback against a basket of six major currencies, edged down 0.17% to 85.81.