Investing.com - The dollar was steady against the euro on Thursday, while sterling and the Australian and New Zealand dollars all gained ground following upbeat economic data.
During European morning trade, the dollar was almost unchanged against the euro, with EUR/USD edging up 0.01% to 1.3151.
The euro remained supported after strong German industrial output data on Wednesday bolstered the economic outlook for the euro zone’s largest economy and tempered expectations for a rate cut from the European Central Bank.
The pound rose to session highs against the dollar, with GBP/USD climbing 0.25% to 1.5574 after data showed that U.K. industrial output beat expectations in March.
The Office for National Statistics said industrial production in the U.K. rose 0.7% in March, better-than-expectations for a 0.2% increase.
The ONS said U.K. manufacturing production rose by 1.1% in March, beating expectations for a 0.3% increase.
The data bolstered expectations that the Bank of England would hold off on announcing fresh stimulus measures following its policy meeting later in the session.
The dollar was lower against the yen and the Swiss franc, with USD/JPY down 0.26% to 98.73 and USD/CHF dipping 0.08% to 0.9346.
The greenback was broadly lower against its Australian, New Zealand and Canadian counterparts, with AUD/USD up 0.51% to 1.0221, NZD/USD rising 0.46% to 0.8440 and USD/CAD edging down 0.08% to 1.0022.
In Australia, official data showed that the economy added 50,100 jobs in April, far more than the expected 12,000 increase, while the unemployment rate ticked down to 5.5%.
The number of people employed in New Zealand rose by 1.7% in the first quarter, official data showed, beating expectations for a 0.8% increase. New Zealand's unemployment rate fell to 6.2% from 6.9% in the fourth quarter.
The dollar index, which tracks the performance of the greenback versus a basket of six other major currencies, dipped 0.03% to 81.96.
The U.S. was to release official data on initial jobless claims later in the trading day.
