Euro rises to 6-1/2 month high against the yen

LONDON: The euro rose to a 6-1/2 month high against the yen on Thursday, as stronger-than-expected French PMI and a mixed set of German activity data helped the single currency.

The yen was also under pressure on speculation the Bank of Japan will ease monetary policy in coming months. Traders said a large Japanese bank sold a chunk of yen against the dollar, pushing the Japanese currency lower.

The euro rose to 106.42, its highest level since early May, up 0.5 percent on the day.