American focus: euro rose

The euro advanced from a one-month low versus the dollar after Standard & Poor’s clarified that France’s credit rating remains AAA, easing concern that a crisis was imminent in the region’s second-largest economy.

The 17-nation currency advanced earlier versus most major peers after Italy drew double the bids for the amount on offer at a bill sale, damping bets the nation will face a challenge funding itself. Greece chose an interim prime minister. Europe’s shared currency rallied from little-changed as S&P said a message was erroneously sent today to some of its subscribers suggesting France’s top-notch credit rating had been lowered. It affirmed the country’s AAA rating.

The euro gained earlier as Italy sold 5 billion euros ($6.8 billion) of bills to yield 6.087 percent, compared with 3.57 percent the last time it auctioned 12-month securities on Oct. 11, and European Central Bank was said to have bought Italy’s government bonds. Demand at the auction was 1.99 times the amount on offer.

Lucas Papademos, a former vice president of the ECB, was chosen to lead a new Greek unity government, paving the way for a coalition charged with securing additional financing to avert the country’s economic collapse. Papademos, 64, steered the country into the euro region as central bank governor more than a decade ago. He has never held elective office.

The Dollar Index declined 0.5 percent to 77.543 on reduced demand for a refuge after a report showed the number of Americans filing applications for unemployment benefits fell to the lowest level in seven months.