The U.S. dollar strengthened against major currencies Monday, rebounding from a string of recent declines after comments by Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke that the economy was leveling out.
The dollar was buying 94.90 yen in Asian afternoon trade, compared with 94.37 yen in North American trade late Friday. The euro was marginally lower against the greenback, changing hands for $1.4318 after finishing Friday at $1.4322. The British pound fell to $1.6472, down from $1.6504 Friday.
Australian and New Zealand currencies, however, climbed against the greenback, as strong gains for equities spurred risk appetite. The Aussie was buying $0.8377, compared with Friday's close at $0.8355, while the Kiwi fetched $0.6855 versus $0.6828 Friday.
The Dollar Index (DXY), which tracks the greenback against a trade-weighted basket of six major currencies, recently rose 0.2% to 78.13. The index lost 0.9% last week.
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