Forex - Dollar gains on U.S. jobs report, profit taking trims gains

Investing.com - The dollar shot up on Friday after official data revealed the U.S. economy added more jobs than expected in October, though profit taking trimmed some of the greenback's earlier gains.

In U.S. trading on Friday, EUR/USD was down 0.48% at 1.3354.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported earlier that the U.S. economy added 204,000 jobs in October, far surpassing expectations for a 125,000 increase.

The August figure was revised to 238,000 from 193,000, while the September figure was revised
to 163,000 from 148,000.

The U.S. unemployment rate ticked up to 7.3% last month from 7.2% in September, in line with expectations.

The figures fueled market sentiments that the Federal Reserve could announce plans to scale back its USD85 billion in monthly asset purchases possibly as soon as December.

Asset purchases aim to spur recovery by driving down long-term interest rates, weakening the dollar in the process, and talk of their dismantling strengthens the U.S. currency.

The better-than-expected October jobs report came a day after official data showed that the U.S. economy grew 2.8% on year in the third quarter, well beyond expectations for 2.0% growth.

Capping the dollar's advance, however, was the Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan's preliminary consumer sentiment index for November, which ticked down to 72.0 from 73.2 in October, disappointing expectations for a rise to 74.5, which allowed for profit taking.

The euro, meanwhile, continued to come under pressure against the dollar after the European Central Bank on Thursday trimmed its benchmark interest rate to a record-low 0.25% from 0.5% in an unexpected decision.

Elsewhere, official data revealed that Germany's trade surplus widened to EUR18.8 billion in September, from EUR15.8 billion the previous month, which was revised up from EUR15.6 billion.

Analysts had expected the trade surplus to narrow to EUR15.5 billion in September.

The wider surplus, the product of soft imports, watered down the euro by stoking concerns Europe's largest economy is shipping in less inputs due to soft demand for its goods and services elsewhere in the continent.

Separately, Standard & Poor's cut France's credit rating to AA from AA+. The ratings agency said slower growth will constrain the government's ability to improve public finances.

The greenback was up against the pound, with GBP/USD down 0.62% at 1.5997.

The dollar was up against the yen, with USD/JPY up 1.02% at 99.09, and up against the Swiss franc, with USD/CHF up 0.74% at 0.9224.

The dollar was up against its cousins in Canada, Australia and New Zealand, with USD/CAD up 0.29% at 1.0489, AUD/USD down 0.80% at 0.9378 and NZD/USD trading down 0.99% at 0.8242.

In Canada, official data showed that the Canadian economy added 13,200 jobs in October, disappointing expectations for a 14,000 increase after a 11,900 rise the previous month.

Canada's unemployment rate remained unchanged at 6.9% last month, confounding expectations for an uptick to 7.0%.

The dollar index, which tracks the performance of the greenback versus a basket of six other major currencies, was up 0.59% at 81.39.

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