Investing.com - The dollar slipped against a basket of other major currencies on Friday, as markets eyed the release of fresh U.S. economic reports later in the day, while Thursday's disappointing U.S. data continued to weigh on the greenback.
Sentiment on the dollar remained vulnerable after the U.S. Department of Labor reported on Thursday that the number of individuals filing for initial jobless benefits increased by 31,000 to 313,000 last week from the previous week’s revised total of 282,000.
Data also showed that U.S. consumer prices declined 0.7% last month, compared to estimates for a decline of 0.6%, while core consumer prices, which exclude food and energy costs, increased by 0.2% in January, above expectations for a 0.1% increase.
On a more positive note, the U.S. Commerce Department said that total durable goods orders increased by 2.8% last month, above expectations for a gain of 1.7%, while core durable goods orders, excluding volatile transportation items, inched up 0.3% in January, disappointing forecasts for a 0.5% gain.
The U.S. dollar index, which measures the greenback’s strength against a trade-weighted basket of six major currencies, was down 0.17% to 95.18.
EUR/USD edged up 0.18% to 1.1218 after official data showed that French consumer spending rose 0.6% last month, confounding expectations for a 0.5% fall. December's figure was revised to a 1.6% increase from a previously estimated 1.5% gain.
A separate report showed that Spanish consumer prices slipped at an annualized rate of 1.1% this month, compared to expectations for a 1.5% drop, after a 1.3% fall in January.
The dollar was steady against the yen, with USD/JPY at 119.41 and fell against the Swiss franc, with USD/CHF down 0.36% to 0.9493.
Official data earlier showed that Japan's household spending fell 0.3% last month, compared to expectations for a 0.4% rise, after a 0.4% increase in December.
Data also showed that Japan's retail sales declined at an annualized rate of 2.0% in January, more than the expected 1.3% drop, after a 0.2% uptick in December.
On the upside, preliminary data showed that Japan's industrial production increased by 4.0% in January, beating expectations for a 2.7% gain, after a 0.8% rise the previous month.
In Switzerland, data showed that the KOF economic barometer fell to 90.1 this month from 96.1 in January, whose figure was revised from a previously estimated 97.0. Analysts had expected the index to drop to 90.0 in February.
In other trade, sterling slipped lower, with GBP/USD easing 0.10% to 1.5389.
The Australian, New Zealand and Canadian dollars were broadly stronger, with AUD/USD adding 0.24% to 0.7823 and NZD/USD rising 0.29% to 0.7553, while USD/CAD slid 0.31% to 1.2477.
Data earlier showed that the ANZ business confidence index for New Zealand rose to 34.4 in January from a reading of 30.4 the previous month.
Later in the day, the U.S. was to release revised data on fourth quarter growth, as well as reports on pending home sales, business activity in the Chicago region and consumer sentiment.