The U.S. dollar edged up versus the euro in choppy trading Thursday, as the European Central Bank and the Bank of England kept their respective interest rates unchanged and the U.S. Labor Department reported a drop in jobless claims.
The euro bought $1.2853 in late New York trading, down from its intraday high of $1.2940 and its late Wednesday rate of $1.2880.
The pound fell to $1.8695 from $1.8811, while the dollar rose to 1.2071 Swiss francs from 1.2041 and 1.2230 Canadian dollars from 1.2205.
The dollar's recent surge against the Japanese yen subsided a bit, with the U.S. currency buying 108.62 yen late Thursday, little changed from 108.61 late Wednesday, after remarks by Bank of Japan Gov. Toshihiko Fukui were interpreted by analysts as preparation for a policy change.
In the United States, the number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits dropped by 19,000 last week, the largest decline in two months, the Labor Department reported Thursday.
Meanwhile, big U.S. retailers reported mixed sales in March as the benefits of an early Easter holiday were offset by unusually cold weather and soaring gasoline prices.
In Frankfurt, ECB President Jean-Claude Trichet gave little indication a rate move was coming in the near future, saying the bank was maintaining "vigilance" in watching economic indicators.
"So far we have seen no significant evidence of underlying domestic inflationary pressures building up in the euro area," he said.
He also warned about rising oil prices, noting they have "an impact on both inflation and also growth."
The ECB decision mirrored that of the Bank of England, which left its key interest rate unchanged at 4.75 percent on Thursday amid signs of slowing economic growth. Britain has not adopted the euro and therefore has kept its own interest-rate policy.