By Deborah Levine
NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- The dollar pared gains versus the euro and yen on Friday after a private gauge of consumer confidence this month unexpectedly declined and business inventories fell in December. The dollar index (DXY 80.55, +0.56, +0.70%) , which tracks the greenback versus six major currencies, traded at 80.279, after earlier touching 80.748 and compared to 80.016 in late New York trading. The euro fell to $1.3632, compared to $1.3584 earlier and from $1.3688. It fell as low as $1.3531, the shared currency's worst since May. The dollar was higher before the data, which analysts attributed to further reaction to the European Union's lack of direct aid to Greece and China's increase in its reserve requirement to cool economic growth.
