American focus: Euro fluctuates before Fed releases minutes of policy

The dollar fluctuated after touching an almost one-month low against the euro before the Federal Open Market Committee releases minutes of its March meeting where policy makers raised their assessment of the economy. The FOMC will release minutes of its March 13 meeting when policy makers raised their economic assessment while repeating that “exceptionally low” interest rates may be needed through late 2014. Chairman Ben S. Bernanke still said on March 26 that further stimulus may be needed to lower unemployment.

The 17-nation currency weakened from its strongest level as Spanish bond yields rose and the nation’s unemployment increased for an eighth month. The yield on Spain’s 10-year bonds climbed eight basis points, or 0.08 percentage point, to 5.43 percent. Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy is implementing the deepest austerity measures since the nation returned to a democracy in 1978, pushing Spain’s IBEX 35 Index to the only loss during the first quarter among national measures in Western Europe. The European Central Bank meets for an interest rate decision tomorrow.

The Australian dollar weakened versus most of its 16 major counterparts after the Reserve Bank signaled it may resume lowering borrowing costs as soon as next month if weaker-than- expected growth slows inflation.