-- Euro-zone crisis fears ease, supporting euro -- Single currency rises to near four-month high against Swiss franc. -- Euro boosted against sterling after poor U.K. industrial data By Jessica Mead The euro rose against the Swiss franc to its highest level in almost four months Friday as hopes built that the worst of the euro-zone crisis might be over, while poor U.K. economic data hit sterling. The euro rose to as high as CHF1.2179 against the Swiss franc, while holding its sharp gains against the dollar from Thursday after European Central Bank President Mario Draghi adopted an upbeat tone at his first press conference of the year. Mr. Draghi suggested that further interest rate cuts were less likely than previously thought and cited the decline in the borrowing costs of the euro zone's more fiscally frail states, with yields on 10-year Spanish government bonds dropping to their lowest levels since March. "As the euro-zone debt crisis is abating we expect to see further support for [the euro against the Swiss franc], as it was mainly the role of the franc as a safe haven that supported the Swiss currency," said Lutz Karpowitz, chief currency strategist at Commerzbank AG in Frankfurt. Sterling fell to its lowest level against the euro since April, with the common currency hitting a high of GBP0.8234 against the pound after data showed U.K. manufacturing output fell unexpectedly in November. Sterling was also under pressure against the dollar. The Office for National Statistics said manufacturing output fell 0.3% in November compared with October. Economists polled by Dow Jones Newswires had forecast that manufacturing output would rise 0.5% on the month. Other currencies perceived as relatively risky including the Australian and New Zealand dollars were slightly weaker, reversing some of the week's strong gains as investors sought to take some of their profits on their bets. In the session ahead, there is U.S. trade data for November at 1330 GMT while president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia Charles Plosser speaks at 1430 GMT. At 1136 GMT, the euro was trading at $1.3257 against the dollar, compared with $1.3272 late Thursday in New York, according to trading system EBS. The dollar was at Y88.82 against the yen, compared with Y88.78, while the euro was at Y117.78, compared with Y117.72. Meanwhile, the pound was trading at $1.6112 against the dollar, compared with $1.6166 late Thursday in New York. The Wall Street Journal Dollar Index, which tracks the dollar against a basket of currencies, was trading at 70.628, compared with 70.531 late Thursday in New York. A summary of key levels for chart-watching technical strategists is below:

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