Muscat: The yen today steadied near its highest level since February, as the dollar fluctuated and traders grappled with oil prices approaching $100 a barrel amid the widening Middle East conflict. Currency markets were also affected, with the dollar edging lower, though some analysts attributed the decline to the yen's sharp appreciation over the past week.
According to Oman News Agency, the euro held steady at $1.1631, while sterling last traded at $1.3546. The dollar index, which tracks the US currency against six major peers, eased to 98.15, close to its lowest in nearly two weeks. The yen rose to 153.65 per dollar, approaching a seven-month high of 152.89 hit in the previous session.
The gains were broad-based, with the Japanese currency rising against the euro, sterling, the Mexican peso, and the Turkish lira. The Australian dollar rose 0.12 percent to $0.7225, edging closer to a four-month high hit in the previous session, while the New Zealand dollar rose 0.16 percent to $0.5862.
