Investing.com - The dollar trimmed losses against the other major currencies on Wednesday, and was still hovering within close distance of a seven-month peak after the release of mixed U.S. housing sector data.
EUR/USD eased 0.08% to 1.0970, still close to Monday’s more than two-month low of 1.0961.
The U.S. Commerce Department said that housing starts slumped 9.0% to 1.047 million units last month from August’s total of 1.150 million units, revised from the initial 1.142 million.
Analysts had expected a rise of 2.5% from the initial number to 1.175 million in August.
Meanwhile, building permits rose 6.3% to 1.225 million units last month from 1.152 million in August. Economists had forecast a 0.9% gain to 1.165 million units in September.
GBP/USD was little changed at 1.2293, after the U.K. Office of National Statistics said the unemployment rate remained steady at 4.9% between June and August, an almost eleven year low.
The number of people claiming unemployment benefits rose by just 700 to 776,400 in September, the ONS said.
Wage growth in the June to August period remained largely steady, the report showed.
The jobs report came one day after official data showing that the cost of living in the U.K. rose at the fastest rate in 22 months in September.
USD/JPY slid 0.43% to 103.39, while USD/CHF held steady at 0.9893.
The Australian and New Zealand dollars were stronger, with AUD/USD up 0.14% at 0.7677 and with NZD/USD adding 0.15% to 0.7201.
Meanwhile, USD/CAD fell 0.23% to trade at 1.3082.
The commodity-related loonie was lifted by rising oil prices on Wednesday, after the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries said in a statement that a planned production cut was achievable.
The U.S. dollar index, which measures the greenback’s strength against a trade-weighted basket of six major currencies, was steady at 97.88, off lows of 97.65 hit earlier in the day.