MW: Dollar stays down after leading indicators rise
By Deborah Levine
NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- The U.S. dollar remained lower Monday versus the euro and British pound after the Conference Board said its index of leading economic indicators 0.7% in June. The dollar index (DXY 78.84, -0.53, -0.67%) , which tracks the greenback against a trade-weighted basket of six major currencies, was little changed at 78.947, from 79.475 in North American trade late Friday. The euro changed hands at $1.4222, up from $1.4119, after hitting its highest level since early June. Economists surveyed by MarketWatch expected the index to rise 0.5%, after having jumped 1.2% in May. The U.S. currency had been lower before the data as commercial lender CIT Group (CIT 1.30, +0.60, +85.71%) reportedly received a private sector bailout, sending U.S. stocks higher and reducing the demand for the safe-haven status of the dollar.
