The euro remained weak Monday, hovering near half-year lows against the U.S. dollar, amid strong U.S. data and worries about the public finances of some European countries.
In morning European trading the 16-nation currency bought $1.3890, up slightly from the $1.3863 it hit during trading Friday in New York-- the lowest point in six months.
The British pound fell to $1.5968, down slightly from $1.5993 on Friday, while the dollar edged up to purchase 90.37 Japanese yen from 90.32 in New York.
The dollar gained strength at the end of last week after Washington said the U.S. economy grew at a 5.7 percent annual rate in the fourth quarter, the fastest pace since 2003. That raised the possibility the Federal Reserve could start boosting interest rates -- a move that can boost a currency as investors transfer funds to currencies that have higher yields.
Additionally, the euro has been weakened by concerns over the debt carried by Greece, Portugal and other European economies.
