Foreign exchange market. Asian session: The currencies of Australia and New Zealand dropped

(Time/ Region/ Event/ Period/ Previous/ Forecast/ Actual)

08:00 Japan Consumer Confidence March 40.7 41.4 41.7

The Dollar Spot Index, a gauge of the currency against 10 major counterparts, was little changed amid a weekly retreat of 1.5 percent, the most since the five days to March 20. Investors are poring over U.S. economic reports as they try to determine the Federal Reserve's likely path on interest rates. Officials from the U.S. central bank continued to provide conflicting signals Thursday, spurring fluctuations in Treasuries.

Fed Vice Chairman Stanley Fischer sent Treasuries tumbling last session after reminding investors that the central bank wants to boost key borrowing costs. Fed Bank of Atlanta President Dennis Lockhart then halted the selloff, saying he wanted to see both falling unemployment and quickening inflation prior to the first rate increase.

The currencies of Australia and New Zealand pared their advances this week as commodity prices dropped. Iron ore, the nation's biggest export earner, fell below $50 on Thursday.

EUR / USD: during the Asian session the pair traded in the range of $1.0750-85

GBP / USD: during the Asian session the pair traded in the range of $1.4920-45

USD / JPY: during the Asian session the pair traded in the range Y118.85-15

The next hurdle for the euro will come from eurozone CPI due later today at 0900 GMT.