Euro gains helped by German trade data

Picture shows banknotes of 10, 20 and 50 euros. (AFP Photo/Philippe Huguen)

NEW YORK CITY, New York: The dollar fell slightly against the euro Thursday after Germany reported a bounce in its trade surplus in June, a good sign for the eurozone's largest economy.

Near 2300 GMT Thursday, the euro traded at $1.338, up from the $1.334 Wednesday.

The dollar bought 96.64 Japanese yen, up from 96.39.

The euro also rose against the yen, trading at 129.25 from 128.55.

Fresh data showed the German trade surplus grew to 16.9 billion euros in June from 13.6 billion euros in May, notching a nice recovery in exports.

"Investors are becoming convinced of the rebound in the region," Boris Schlossberg, managing director at BK Asset Management, said of the outlook on Europe.

The dollar has slid since mid-July as some investors have questioned the time-table for the Federal Reserve to scale back its aggressive bond-buying program.

But the dollar rose against the yen Thursday after the Bank of Japan kept in place its aggressive monetary policies.

Among other currencies, the British pound rose to $1.5538 from $1.5487 Wednesday.

The dollar dipped to $0.9202 Swiss franc from 0.9217.