Dollar dips, market struggles for direction before U.S. jobs data

[Local]

The dollar was flat to lower against the euro and yen on Wednesday as a soft Japanese business survey dented Tokyo shares but helped bolster the safe-haven yen, while another improved batch of European data helped the euro.

Slightly improved final readings of last month's purchasing manager surveys in France and Germany, and healthy figures in Italy and Spain, provided more signs that euro zone manufacturing is recovering from a low base

A solid UK reading was not enough to push the pound higher against the dollar as nerves around next month's tightly fought election weigh on investors' attitude to British assets. Sterling fell half a percent against the euro.

More: http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/...0MS2Y620150401

[Newsman]

Doubts over U.S. growth cool dollar rally

The U.S. dollar lost ground on Thursday, the last trading day of the week for many markets ahead of Easter, after disappointing economic data on Wednesday raised doubts over the growth outlook ahead of key jobs data due Friday.

Although non-farm payrolls are expected to show an increase of 245,000 jobs in March, according to economists polled by Reuters, Wednesday's data hit U.S. equities and reinforced concerns that the dollar's recent rally has weighed on exports.


More: http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/...0MT01T20150402