Dollar Steady as Hopes Rise for Ceasefire in West Asia

Muscat: The dollar was largely steady today as cautious optimism grew among investors about the prospects of a ceasefire for the US-Israeli war against Iran, but mixed signals kept markets on edge. The yen recovered from its lowest level this year at 160.46 against the dollar, rising back above the psychologically important 160 level, which had sparked concerns about intervention by Japanese authorities. The euro reached its highest level in more than a week. According to Oman News Agency, the dollar index, which measures the performance of the US currency against a basket of currencies including the yen and the euro, fell 0.03 percent to 99.70 in the latest trading. The euro rose 0.2 percent to USD 1.1574. The Japanese currency steadied at JPY 158.63 per dollar, while the British pound rose 0.29 percent to USD 1.3261. The Australian dollar also rose 0.14 percent to USD 0.691, and the New Zealand dollar edged up 0.02 percent to USD 0.5746.