LONDON, Feb 18 - The euro stood near a record high versus the dollar above $1.29 set earlier on Wednesday, aided by a lack of strong warning against its strength from euro zone officials and concerns about continuing low interest rates. The dollar was weak elsewhere, hitting an 11-year low against sterling beyond $1.91 and setting an eight-year trough against a basket of currencies <=USD>. The greenback shrugged off Tuesday's data showing the U.S. capital inflows came in at a better than expected $75.5 billion in December, as risk-seeking funds kept flowing into higher-yielding currencies. By 0735 GMT the euro was trading at $1.2892 having risen as high as $1.2927 earlier. The yen kept a low profile at 105.60 per dollar , steady on the day as wariness of yen-selling intervention weighed on positive sentiment from stronger than expected fourth-quarter growth data.
Japanese Finance Minister Sadakazu Tanigaki said earlier on Wednesday, saying there was no change in policy of intervening in foreign exchange market to stem volatility. Speaking earlier this week, European Central Bank President Jean-Claude Trichet passed up an opportunity to express concern over the euro's strength, leaving markets with the impression that intervention to stem the currency's rise ws not imminent.//