The dollar strengthened to an 11- month high against the yen after the Federal Reserve raised its outlook for U.S. growth, reducing expectations the central bank will begin a third round of bond purchases. The Federal Open Market Committee said yesterday it expects “moderate economic growth” and predicted the U.S. unemployment rate “will decline gradually.”

The yen fell for a second day versus the dollar as the extra yield received for holding Treasury two-year notes compared with Japanese debt increased to the most since July. The extra yield investors receive from holding two-year Treasuries instead of Japanese debt widened to 24 basis points, the most since July 28, increasing the attractiveness of dollar assets. There is a “relatively high” correlation between the two-year spread and the dollar-yen exchange rate, Bank of Japan Governor Masaaki Shirakawa has said.

Britain’s pound rallied against most of its major peers as gilt yields rose to the highest in four months.