Asian session review: the dollar declined against the euro and yen

During today's Asian trading, the euro rose slightly against the US dollar after falling the day before on statements by European Central Bank (ECB) President Christine Lagarde that raised hopes for new stimulus in the region. Lagarde, speaking at the end of the ECB meeting, promised that in December the European Central Bank will "calibrate" the available monetary policy instruments appropriately in order to maintain favorable financial conditions to stimulate economic recovery and mitigate the negative consequences of the coronavirus pandemic.

The yen rose against the euro and the dollar due to the growing demand for safe haven currencies against the background of the second wave of coronavirus infection in Europe and the United States, which required the introduction of new quarantine measures.

French President Emmanuel Macron this week announced a "new stage" in the fight against the spread of COVID-19, which provides for a partial lockdown from Friday. The new restrictive measures will last until at least December 1. Germany reported the closure of a wide range of public institutions due to the increase in the incidence of COVID-19.

Meanwhile, the United States on Thursday set another record for the number of cases of COVID-19 - more than 91 thousand new cases were recorded in the country.

The ICE index, which tracks the US dollar against six currencies (the Euro, Swiss franc, yen, canadian dollar, pound sterling and Swedish Krona), fell 0.08%.