The Swiss franc rose 0.3 percent against the dollar and the euro to 0.9979 per dollar and 1.1350 per euro.
The Japanese yen gained 0.2 percent against the dollar to 110.78.
Against this backdrop, the dollar was generally supported against riskier currencies.
Risk currencies were also hampered by uncertainty over the progress in U.S.-China trade talks.
The euro stood little changed at $1.1381 while the Australian dollar dipped 0.1 percent to $0.7135.
The pound last stood at $1.3295, down 0.1 percent on the day. It had climbed as high as $1.3351 overnight, ending the session almost half a percent higher and moving further above its 200-day moving average.
· The USD/JPY pair reached a fresh daily high at 111.02 but the sellers continued to lurk above the 111 handle , as S&P 500 futures turned negative. The spot now flirts with daily lows near 110.85 region.
USD/JPY is trading above 5-day MA, having picked up a bid at a low of 110.35 yesterday. The 5-day MA support could be breached if equities turn risk-averse in response to dismal China data.
· The U.S. economy probably slowed in the fourth quarter, held back by softer consumer spending and weak exports, which could leave 2018 growth just shy of the Trump administration’s 3 percent annual target.
The Commerce Department’s gross domestic product (GDP) report to be published on Thursday at 08:30 a.m. (1330 GMT) will offer the latest assessment of the impact of President Donald Trump’s economic policies, including deregulation, tax cuts, increased government spending and tariffs aimed at securing more favorable trade deals.
Gross domestic product probably increased at a 2.3 percent annualized rate in the fourth quarter, according to a Reuters survey of economists after expanding at a 3.4 percent pace in the July-September period. However, the survey was completed before the release of December wholesale and retail inventories as well as housing, factory orders and goods trade deficit data, which led many institutions to downgrade their forecasts.
The release of the fourth-quarter GDP report was delayed by a 35-day partial shutdown of the government that ended on Jan. 25, which affected the collection and processing of economic data.
The Atlanta Federal Reserve is projecting GDP grew 1.8 percent in the October-December quarter, which would be the slowest in nearly two years. Economists are forecasting that the economy grew about 2.9 percent in2018, which would the best performance since 2015 and better than the 2.2 percent logged in 2017.
· The White House said Thursday that the "program is changing" for the ongoing nuclear summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
The press pool covering the event was told that the meeting would end within 30 minutes — significantly earlier than had originally been scheduled for the summit in Hanoi, Vietnam. Trump will leave the summit site at that time, the White House said.
White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders did not tell reporters why the schedule had changed and she declined to say whether there would be a signing ceremony
U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un failed to reach an agreement on denuclearization of the Korean peninsula at their summit in Vietnam on Thursday, the White House said.
· U.S. President Donald Trump said Thursday he cut short his nuclear summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un because the two sides could not agree on sanctions.
"It wasn't a good thing to be signing anything," Trump said during a post-summit news conference. "We had some options, and at this time we decided not to do any of the options."
The president said he had not committed to a third summit with Kim. Still, Trump described the talks as productive, and highlighted his relationship with his North Korean counterpart — "I think we'll end up being very good friends."
· United States President Donald Trump said on Thursday there would be some “reasonably decent news” on the ongoing conflict between India and Pakistan, a day after the two nuclear powers both downed enemy jets and Pakistan captured an Indian pilot.
· The U.S. Trade Representative’s office said on Wednesday it would move to formally suspend a scheduled tariff increase on Chinese goods “until further notice” following President Donald Trump’s decision to delay his Friday deadline for a U.S.-China trade deal amid progress in their talks.
· Goldman Sachs has cut its chances for a “no-deal” Brexit to 10 percent from 15 percent previously, joining other banks and asset managers trimming their probability of Britain crashing out of the European Union without a deal next month.
Analysts at the U.S. investment bank on Thursday raised the chances of an extension to Article 50 to 55 percent from 50 percent, while keeping unchanged at 35 percent the probability of a “no Brexit” scenario.
Theresa May won a two week reprieve on Wednesday from British lawmakers, who postponed a threatened rebellion aimed at blocking a no-deal Brexit after she agreed to a possible delay to Britain’s departure from the EU.
· Oil prices fell on Thursday amid weakening factory output in China and Japan and record U.S. crude output, although markets remained relatively well supported by supply cuts led by producer club OPEC.
International Brent crude futures were at $66.04 per barrel at 0747 GMT, down 35 cents, or 0.5 percent, from their last close.
U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil futures were at $56.78 per barrel, down 16 cents, or 0.3 percent, from their last settlement.
Reference: Reuters, CNBC
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