Investing.com - The euro was almost unchanged against the U.S. dollar on Friday, as the greenback shrugged off disappointing U.S. personal spending data and markets awaited upcoming reports on Chicago manufacturing activity and U.S. consumer sentiment.
EUR/USD hit 1.3196 during European afternoon trade, the session high; the pair subsequently consolidated at 1.3188, inching up 0.05%.
The pair was likely to find support at 1.3153, the low of August 27 and an 11-month low and resistance at 1.3243, the high of August 24.
The Bureau of Economic Analysis reported that U.S. personal spending fell 0.1% last month, confounding expectations for a 0.2% rise, after an increase of 0.4% in June.
The report also showed that U.S. personal income rose 0.2% in July, less than the expected 0.3% gain. The change in personal income for June was revised to a 0.5% increase from a previously estimated 0.4% rise.
Earlier Friday, preliminary data showed that euro zone consumer price inflation ticked down to an annualized rate of 0.3% this month from 0.4% in July , in line with expectations.
Core consumer price inflation, which excludes food, energy, alcohol, and tobacco, rose to 0.9% in August compared to a year ealier, from 0.8% in July. Analysts had expected core CPI to remain unchanged this month.
A separate report showed that the euro zone's unemployment rate remained unchanged at 11.5% last month, in line with expectations.
In addition, official data showed that German retail sales declined 1.4% in July, disappointing expectations for a 0.1% rise, after a 1.0% gain in June, whose figure was revised from a previously estimated 1.3% advance.
The data added to concerns over the health of the euro zone's second biggest economy.
The euro was steady against the pound, with EUR/GBP easing up 0.03% to 0.7948.
Investors were also focusing on developments in Ukraine after the nation's President Petro Poroshenko said Russian troops have "de facto" entered his country.
The United Nations Security Council was to hold an emergency meeting later Friday, while the U.S. said the U.S. said thay it has a "range of options" to help Ukraine.