Rate of the euro traded in a range against the U.S. dollar, while demonstrating a slight decrease . Note that after adjusting Eurocurrency yesterday dollar growth caused by the decision to cut the Fed asset purchases by $ 10 billion to $ 75 billion a month , and an increase in the economic outlook for the United States . So , after a meeting of 17-18 December the Fed has reduced its quantitative easing program and kept the target range of the base interest rate of zero to 0.25 % per annum. Fed from January 2014 intends to reduce purchases of government bonds to $ 45 billion to $ 40 billion a month , mortgage-backed securities - from $ 40 billion to $ 35 billion a month . At the same time the Fed is ready to continue the reduction of future meetings , if justified its macroeconomic forecasts . The Federal Open Market Committee, stressed that the base rate will remain in the current range for a long time after the decline in the unemployment rate to less than 6.5% , especially in the case of continued low inflation .

As for economic data , today appreciable effect on the course of trading , they did not have .

The Canadian dollar rose sharply against the dollar , helped by the weak U.S. reports . The first is to provide data on the number of applications for unemployment benefits . In the Department of Labor reported that the number of people filing for first time applications for unemployment benefits rose by 10,000 and totaled a seasonally adjusted 379,000 in the week ended Dec. 14 , said Thursday . This is the highest level since March and well above 336,000 new claims economists expected . The number of applications from the previous week was revised up to 369,000 . New applications jumped by 74,000 in the past two weeks after moving to six-year lows in late November. The four-week moving average of claims, which smooths the volatile weekly data , rose by 13,250 to 343,500 .

Not pleased as data on the housing market. As it became known , existing home sales fell by 4.3% compared with the previous month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.90 million home sales fell 1.2 % compared with a year earlier, the first time in 29 months this index decreased compared to the same period last year. Economists had forecast a decline of 2.0% from October to November to an annual rate of 5.04 million .

The Swiss franc fell against the U.S. dollar, which has been associated with the release of unexpectedly weak data on Switzerland. As it became known , the trade surplus narrowed in November, Switzerland , contrary to expectations of improvement. The trade surplus fell to 2112 million Swiss francs from the downwardly revised 2282 million Swiss francs in October. Economists had forecast a surplus of 2.57 billion Swiss francs.

Exports rose for the second month in a row in real terms , after rising by 1.2 percent year on year , after growth of 0.3 percent in the previous month . Imports grew by 1.6 per cent per annum , after falling 2.7 percent in October. Jewelery exports hit a record high in November , while exports of chemicals and pharmaceuticals showed the biggest decline in two years.

06:45 Switzerland SECO Economic Forecasts Quarter I

07:00 Switzerland Trade Balance November 2.43 2.57 2.11

09:00 Eurozone Current account, adjusted, bln October 13.7 14.2 21.8

09:30 United Kingdom Retail Sales (MoM) November -0.9% Revised From -0.7% +0.3% +0.3%

09:30 United Kingdom Retail Sales (YoY) November +1.8% +2.2% +2.0%

The euro is trading sideways against the U.S. dollar, after adjusting dollar growth caused by yesterday's decision to cut the Fed asset purchases by $ 10 billion to $ 75 billion a month , and an increase in the economic outlook for the United States . So , after a meeting of 17-18 December the Fed has reduced its quantitative easing program and kept the target range of the base interest rate of zero to 0.25 % per annum. Fed from January 2014 intends to reduce purchases of government bonds to $ 45 billion to $ 40 billion a month , mortgage-backed securities - from $ 40 billion to $ 35 billion a month . At the same time the Fed is ready to continue the reduction of future meetings , if justified its macroeconomic forecasts . The Federal Open Market Committee, stressed that the base rate will remain in the current range for a long time after the decline in the unemployment rate to less than 6.5% , especially in the case of continued low inflation . The Fed also improved assessment of the U.S. economy, noting that it justifies the move to curtail QE, and raised its forecast for next year.

The euro rose slightly after the release of data on the balance of payments in the eurozone. Eurozone current account surplus rose to a seasonally adjusted 21.8 billion euros in October from 14.9 billion euros in September. The surplus on goods, services and income increased in October , while the deficit in current transfers declined from September .

The surplus on trade in goods rose to 17 billion euros from 13.7 billion euros in September. In turn, the surplus on services increased to 9.4 billion euros from 8.8 billion euros. In addition, profit rose to 4.7 billion euros from 2.6 billion euros. At the same time , current transfers showed a deficit of 9.4 billion euros, compared with a deficit of 10.2 billion euros a month ago.

On an unadjusted basis the current account surplus widened to 26.2 billion euros in October from 15.2 billion euros in September.

Pound also traded in a range against the U.S. currency on background data on retail sales in Britain. Sales , including automotive fuel rose 0.3 percent on a monthly measurement in November , recovering from a revised 0.9 percent drop in October. The result was in line with economists' expectations .

Excluding automotive fuel , sales increased by 0.4 percent on a monthly measurement in November. It was a little faster than the expected increase of 0.3 percent. In October, retail sales fell by a revised 0.7 percent.

In annualized retail sales including automotive fuel , increased by 2 percent in November compared to expectations of 2.2 percent growth . Excluding fuel , sales increased by 2.3 per cent per annum, which is slower than the increase of 2.4 percent , which was expected .

The yen lost some positions recruited against the dollar today after the beginning of the two-day meeting of the Bank of Japan. According to the median forecast of economists on the basis of a two-day meeting, which ends on December 20 , the Bank of Japan decides to keep the volume to stimulate the economy of the country at the same level . However, they expect quantitative easing program in Japan in 2014.

EUR / USD: during the European session, the pair rose to $ 1.3691 and retreated

GBP / USD: during the European session, the pair traded in a narrow range of $ 1.6359 - $ 1.6388

USD / JPY: during the European session, the pair rose to Y104.31

U.S. at 13:30 GMT publish number of initial claims for unemployment insurance , the number of repeated applications for unemployment benefits in the 15:00 GMT - Sales in the secondary housing market in November , the Fed's manufacturing index for December - Philadelphia .

EUR/USD

Offers $1.3850, $1.3830/35, $1.3815/20, $1.3800/05, $1.3770/80, $1.3750, $1.3730, $1.3700/10

Bids $1.3650, $1.3600

GBP/USD

Offers  $1.6500, $1.6400/10

Bids  $1.6355/50, $1.6325/15, $1.6295/90, $1.6280/75, $1.6250/40

AUD/USD

Offers $0.8980/90, $0.8950, $0.8910, $0.8900

Bids  $0.8825/20, $0.8800, $0.8750, $0.8700

EUR/JPY

Offers Y143.50, Y143.00, Y142.55/60

Bids  Y141.80/60, Y141.50, Y141.25/20, Y141.00

USD/JPY

Offers Y105.00, Y104.50

Bids Y103.65/60, Y103.50, Y103.10/00, Y102.60/50

EUR/GBP

Offers  stg0.8500, stg0.8475/80, stg0.8467, stg0.8435/40, stg0.8420, stg0.8390/405

Bids stg0.8330/20, stg0.8300/290, stg0.8260/50, stg0.8220

USDJPY Y102.50, Y102.85, Y103.00, Y103.50, Y103.70

EUR/USD $1.3500, $1.3530, $1.3540, $1.3670, $1.3770, $1.3780, $1.3800, $1.3865

GBP/USD $1.6150, $1.6400

EUR/GBP stg0.8500

AUD/USD $0.8710, $0.8900, $0.8950, $0.8500

00:30 Australia RBA Bulletin Quarter IV

04:30 Japan All Industry Activity Index, m/m October +0.4% -0.2% -0.2%

The dollar climbed against most of 16 major counterparts after the Federal Reserve decided to slow stimulus that’s seen to have debased the U.S. currency, reinforcing prospects the world’s largest economy is improving. The Federal Open Market Committee yesterday announced a plan to cut monthly bond purchases to $75 billion from $85 billion, taking its first step toward unwinding the unprecedented stimulus that Chairman Ben S. Bernanke put in place to help the economy recover from the worst recession since the 1930s.

The Fed reinforced assurances the benchmark rate is likely to stay low “well past the time that the unemployment rate declines below 6.5 percent, especially if projected inflation continues to run below” policy makers’ 2 percent goal. The central bank has kept the target for the federal-funds rate at a range of zero to 0.25 percent since 2008.

The yen rebounded against the dollar after its biggest slump in more than four months. The Bank of Japan policy makers start a two-day meeting today. BOJ officials see significant scope to increase government-bond purchases from 7 trillion yen ($67 billion) a month if needed to achieve their 2 percent inflation target, according to people familiar with the discussions. The BOJ monetary policy statement is due tomorrow.

The euro fell before European Union leaders meet today to discuss a planned banking union. In Europe, finance ministers backed an agency to handle failing banks and pledged to create an industry-financed resolution fund over the next 10 years. This is the “final building block of the whole banking union,” Dutch Finance Minister Jeroen Dijsselbloem told reporters before the summit in Brussels today.

EUR / USD: during the Asian session the pair fell to $ 1.3650

GBP / USD: during the Asian session, the pair traded in the range of $ 1.6360-95

USD / JPY: on Asian session the pair fell to Y103.75

US data to the fore as further tapering data dependent. Weekly jobless claims, Phila Fad and existing home sales later. UK retail sales at 0930GMT in focus next ahead of US weekly claims, Phila Fed and housing data this afternoon.

(pare/closed(00:00 GMT +02:00)/change, %)

EUR/USD $1,3685 -0,60%

GBP/USD $1,6389 +0,77%

USD/CHF Chf0,8937 +1,00%

USD/JPY Y104,26 +1,53%

EUR/JPY Y142,69 +0,95%

GBP/JPY Y170,86 +2,29%

AUD/USD $0,8859 -0,43%

NZD/USD $0,8236 -0,41%

USD/CAD C$1,0700 +0,89%

00:30 Australia RBA Bulletin Quarter IV

04:30 Japan All Industry Activity Index, m/m October +0.4% -0.2%

06:45 Switzerland SECO Economic Forecasts Quarter I

07:00 Switzerland Trade Balance November 2.43 2.57

09:00 Eurozone Current account, adjusted, bln October 13.7 14.2

09:30 United Kingdom Retail Sales (MoM) November -0.7% +0.3%

09:30 United Kingdom Retail Sales (YoY) November +1.8% +2.2%

13:30 U.S. Initial Jobless Claims December 368 336

15:00 U.S. Leading Indicators November +0.2% +0.7%

15:00 U.S. Existing Home Sales November 5.12 5.04

15:00 U.S. Philadelphia Fed Manufacturing Survey December 6.5 10.3