Dollar-euro rate flat, yen lower as Ukraine crisis simmers

The dollar-euro exchange rate was virtually unchanged for a second day Thursday while the yen slipped again amid worries about the simmering Ukraine crisis.

A deal struck in talks in Geneva between the US, European Union, Ukraine and Russia to ease the crisis took some of the short-term worries out of the market, where traders in many forex centers including London and New York were to start the Easter weekend holiday on Friday.

The parties in the Geneva talks agreed to restore security in eastern Ukraine, where forces from Kiev had moved to oust armed pro-Russia separatists from government buildings they had occupied.

"Not all of the positivity surrounding the dollar was Ukraine-based, though, as a flotilla of encouraging North American economic releases revealed themselves," said Neal Gilbert of Forex.com.

He noted modestly strong data from the US -- on manufacturing in the Philadelphia region and on jobs -- and a rise in Canadian prices.

"As economic report after economic report about US activity is released, we are really beginning to see that the prognostication by many market commentators, that the harsh winter was having a serious effect on growth, seems to be coming true," he said.