Dollar gains as risk-taking appetite wanes

• Against a basket of currencies the greenback rose 0.2pc to 99.40 while US stock futures were trading in the red.
• The pound remains under pressure against the greenback, slipping 0.3pc to $1.2201, as well as against the euro, with a 0.3pc fall at 89.90 pence per euro.

LONDON: The dollar edged higher on Thursday as Sino-US tensions and weak economic indicators in Europe dented sentiment after hopes of a quick economic recovery and further stimulus fuelled an overnight rally on Wall Street.

Against a basket of currencies the greenback rose 0.2pc to 99.40 while US stock futures were trading in the red.

The euro eased down 0.1pc to $1.0972, giving up some gains secured after a Franco-German proposal for a pan-European Union fund propped up hopes the bloc could move closer to a fiscal union.

Stock markets across Europe opened in negative territory while shortly after the bell, data showed that France's business slump eased not quite as much as expected in May.

Shortly after that, an indicator which tracks the manufacturing and services sectors showed that Germany's recession eased in May but also less than anticipated.

"The rate of decline in activity has eased considerably since the peak of virus containment measures in April, but we are still a long way off business as usual and the path to recovery remains unclear," IHS Markit economist Phil Smith said.

In Britain, weak inflation is driving bets that the Bank of England may cut interest rates below zero.

The pound remains under pressure against the greenback, slipping 0.3pc to $1.2201, as well as against the euro, with a 0.3pc fall at 89.90 pence per euro.

Japan reported its steepest drop in exports in more than a decade and cratering factory activity. The Japanese yen was down 0.3pc at 107.800 per dollar.

The risk-sensitive Aussie was last at $0.6568 down 0.4pc.

The dollar also rose 0.1pc against the yuan in onshore trade to 7.0973.

Diplomatic relations between the world's two biggest economies have soured in recent weeks with US President Donald Trump attacking China's handling of the coronavirus outbreak.

The latest salvo came when Trump took to Twitter late on Wednesday to accuse China of a "massive disinformation campaign" seeking to damage his re-election chances, "so they can continue to rip-off the United States."