780 yen after losing 0.52 a barrel after surging to as high as .661 scaled on Wednesday. Brent crude LCOc1 was down 0.4 per cent, buoyed by prospects of Tokyo delaying a sales tax hike. In commodities, crude oil went into consolidation mode after prices hit a barrel overnight for the first time in seven months.51 on Thursday. The dollar index was nearly flat at 95.4 per cent, buoyed by prospects of Tokyo delaying a sales tax hike. The dollar was steady at 109. "Given the uniformity of comments from policymakers, we don't think Yellen will throw cold water on rate hike expectations and could in fact reinforce them," wrote Kathy Lien, managing director of FX strategy at BK Asset Management. data continued to paint the world's largest economy in a positive light, while the dollar was on the defensive against its major peers."

The Australian dollar extended gains after rising overnight on a modest upgrade in domestic capex data.DXY after slipping 0. MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan . The euro treaded water at .2 per cent to a two-week high.S. Japan's Nikkei nudged up 0. U.1 per cent and the S&P 500 ended flat overnight after rising strongly for two days as advancing utilities offset declines in materials, banks and other Automobile Parts Mold Manufacturers cyclical industries.1 per cent at .Japan's Nikkei nudged up 0. Tokyo: Asian stocks pulled ahead on Friday after patches of U.MIAPJ0000PUS gained 0. first quarter GDP release and comments from Fed Chair Janet Yellen at a Harvard University-sponsored event later on Friday.3 per cent gain. "Economists are also looking for first quarter GDP growth to be revised higher so today's pullback in the dollar should be temporary.4 percent overnight.S.7145 on Tuesday amid a slide in commodities, was last up 0.108 .

The financial markets are now looking to U. The greenback had rallied earlier in the week on growing expectations the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates as soon as June or July, supported by a series of comments from Fed officials seemingly backing such a move.1190 following Thursday's 0. The Aussie, which fell to a near three-month low of <~PostContent~>. The index was on track to gain 2..7230. The Dow inched down 0. data released on Thursday showed durable goods orders, pending home sales and initial jobless claims coming in strong, while capital goods orders and the Kansas City Fed manufacturing survey were weak.1 percent at <~PostContent~>.3 per cent overnight, pulling away from a two-month high of 95.S.3 per cent this week