Investing.com - The dollar was little changed against other major currencies on Thursday, hovering at a one-week high, as investors were awaiting the European Central Bank’s policy decision, as well as U.S. jobless claims data due later in the day.
EUR/USD added 0.19% to 1.0560.
Later Thursday, the ECB was expected to leave interest rates unchanged. Market participants were eyeing the monthly press conference by ECB President Mario Draghi, scheduled after the policy decision, for indications on the bank’s future policy moves.
Meanwhile, the greenback remained supported after U.S. payroll processor ADP reported on Thursday that the private sector added 298,000 jobs in February, well above forecasts for an increase of 190,000. It was the largest increase in private sector hiring since March 2006.
Investors were looking ahead to Friday’s government employment report for February, where a strong reading would cement expectations for a rate hike from the Fed next week.
Elsewhere, GBP/USD slipped 0.18% to 1.2149, just off Wednesday’s seven-week low of 1.2138.
On Wednesday, the U.K. upwardly revised its economic growth forecasts for 2017 but lowered them for the following three years, in Chancellor Philip Hammond’s first full budget statement since the June Brexit vote.
USD/JPY gained 0.38% to trade at 114.76, while USD/CHF held steady at 1.0146.
The Australian and New Zealand dollars were weaker, with AUD/USD down 0.40% at 0.7498 and with NZD/USD edgind down 0.16% to 0.6903.
Meanwhile, USD/CAD rose 0.24% to trade at 1.3522, the highest since December 29.
The U.S. dollar index, which measures the greenback’s strength against a trade-weighted basket of six major currencies, was little changed at 102.09, just off a one-week high of 102.25 hit overnight and approaching a two-month peak.