Investing.com - The dollar traded lower against most major currencies after soft home sales figures and fresh fears of an Ebola outbreak in the U.S. prompted investors to avoid the U.S. currency.
In U.S. trading on Friday, EUR/USD was up 0.17% at 1.2668.
The dollar dipped after the Census Bureau reported earlier that U.S. new home sales rose 0.2% in September to 467,000 units, missing expectations for an increase to 470,000 units.
The August figure was downwardly revised to a 15.3% climb to 466,000 units from a previously estimated 18.0% jump to 504,000 units, and the data weakened the dollar.
While the Federal Reserve is widely seen closing its bond-buying program this month, the timing of rate hikes in 2015 still remains unclear.
Still, the dollar didn't plunge, as a longer-range view of economic indicators still points to a sustained U.S. recovery, including in the housing sector.
Earlier in the week, the National Association of Realtors reported that U.S. existing home sales increased 2.4% to a 5.17 million units last month from 5.05 million in August. Analysts had expected existing home sales to rise 1% to 5.10 million units in September.
Elsewhere, a doctor who recently returned from Guinea tested positive for Ebola in New York City, which weakened the greenback on concerns that fears of a U.S. outbreak could slow growth.
Meanwhile in Europe, upbeat homegrown data gave the euro added support, which chipped away at the U.S. currency.
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.
The single currency had also found support on Thursday after data showed that the euro zone saw a marginal uptick in business activity in October.
Research group Markit Economics reported that its preliminary manufacturing purchasing managers’ index for the euro area ticked up to 50.7 this month from a final reading of 50.3 in September. Analysts had expected the index to slide to 49.9.
The service-sector PMI held steady at 52.4, slightly above expectations of 52.0.
The dollar was down against the yen, with USD/JPY down 0.20% at 108.05, and down against the Swiss franc, with USD/CHF down 0.20% at 0.9521.
The greenback was down against the pound, with GBP/USD up 0.33% at 1.6084.
The Office for National Statistics reported earlier that the U.K.'s preliminary 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, also in line with expectations, and down from a 3.2% growth rate in the second quarter.
The dollar was down against its cousins in Canada, Australia and New Zealand, with USD/CAD down 0.02% at 1.1229, AUD/USD up 0.48% at 0.8802 and NZD/USD up 0.49% at 0.7860.
The US Dollar Index, which tracks the performance of the greenback versus a basket of six other major currencies, was down 0.20% at 85.79.