The South Korean currency, one of the best performers in 2009 among Asian emerging markets, had a severe weekly decline as risk aversion remained predominant after China’s statements regarding new regulations on its economy.

After China announced it will take further measures to control inflation in the country, which can be understood with implied slower economic growth, the South Korean currency declined versus most of its main trading partners currencies, as was the worst performer in the Asian region this week in foreign-exchange markets.

USD/KRW ended the week at 1,152.50 from an opening rate of 1,136.2 this Friday.

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After losing significantly during most of this Wednesday’s session as risk aversion prevailed globally, the kiwi rebounded in currency markets as retail sales advanced in the country reviving the confidence regarding the Southern Pacific economy.

The New Zealand dollar had its worse decline in two months this Wednesday as consumer prices showed negative figures, but a retail sales report published in this Thursday early morning in the country revived confidence in the currency as figures came better than forecasts suggested.

NZD/USD traded at 0.7227 as of 12:51 GMT from as low as 0.7185 hours earlier.

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The U.K. currency profited today from an increase in the nation’s house prices, fueling even further speculations that the recession might be ending in Britain, attracting investors to purchase

pound-priced assets in a day of bullish equities markets in London.

In a day of predominant risk appetite as commodities and equities advanced in the U.K., the pound profited from an optimistic scenario in the country as Rightmove Plc, a leading British real estate website, indicated that house prices increased last month, adding evidences for speculations that Bank of England’s current asset purchase program may expire next month and not be extended further, which would certainly allow the pound to climb in foreign-exchange markets. The euro posted a slight decline versus the sterling as traders remained skeptical regarding Greece’s budget deficit and the European Central Bank’s capability of rescuing the Southern European nation from a financial collapse.

Several analysts believe that the pound may outperform multiple key-currencies in foreign-exchange markets this year, as the recession fades away and according to some speculations, the country’s currency would be undervalued. If positive data continues to be published the pound may experience a sharp rally, specially versus a less attractive euro in the following weeks.

EUR/GBP traded at 0.8803 as of 16:14 GMT from an opening rate of 0.8821 when markets opened yesterday. GBP/USD climbed to 1.6333 from 1.6258.

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The Brazilian real posted the fourth straight day of decline versus the U.S. dollar as speculations suggest that the Treasury is likely to start a debt selling plan to buy dollars, declining attractiveness for the real in currency markets.

The real touched the weakest level in 2010 today as speculations suggest that overseas investors are leaving the country, and such capital outflows declined appeal for the emerging market South American currency. A Treasury plan that may be used to buy dollars also affected the real’s outlook, in another day of losses versus most of the main traded currencies this week.

USD/BRL traded at 1.7658 as of 20:03 GMT from an opening rate of 1.7405.

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After several days gaining versus the dollar and the euro, the Norwegian currency slid versus main traded currencies as a bearish day in equities markets and decreased demand for commodities shunned investors from assets in the Nordic country.

The Norwegian krone was affected today as the crude oil, the nation’s chief export, had a decline on its rates after China imposed new lending requirements for banks in the country, affecting markets’ sentiment, consequently impacting stock markets and demand for high-yielding currencies.

USD/NOK traded at 5.6518 as of 19:08 GMT from today’s opening rate of 5.6174.

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In the first day of trading for Russian stocks in 2010, the national currency posted a sharp rise as equities in the country, extremely related to commodities, climbed with full force, as stock markets in the country were closed last week.

The ruble benefited today from a strong demand for oil in the Northern Hemisphere as this winter is being of the most intense during the past decade, forcing the crude beyond $83 a barrel, allowing Russian stocks to gain sharply and consequently providing support for the nation’s currency to post the sharpest advance in a decade today versus the greenback.

USD/RUB closed today at 29.30 today from an opening rate of 29.868, a decline of almost 2 percent.

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The Swiss currency had its previous week rally versus currencies like the pound and the euro halted today after the national central bank took a position against further advances of the franc, as the current appreciation was considered excessive by SNB officials.

After a rally that lasted during most of the past week trading session, the Swiss National Bank President Philipp Hildebrand stated today that the franc’s fluctuations will be monitored closely, also signaling that policy makers will attempt to prevent further gains for the its currency, as current levels, specially versus the euro, are considered too high. The Swiss franc also advanced considerably last week versus the greenback, as bets that interest rates will be raised in the U.S. declined after negative data was released.

Most of the franc’s advance during the past month were based on speculations that the SNB authorities would take a rather passive policy regarding the currency’s fluctuations, but after today’s affirmations, it’s likely that the Swiss currency will experience a considerable decline, or at least, a rather neutral trend as fears for interventions will certainly count on trader’s sentiment towards the Swiss franc.

EUR/CHF currently trades at 1.4752, 15:52 GMT, from as 1.4722 when markets opened yesterday. GBP/CHF also climbed to 1.6391 from 1.6310.

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The U.S. currency was performing quite well during most of this week’s session as optimism regarding the U.S. economy was high, but the employment data published on Friday forced the greenback down versus most of the main traded currencies, as figures came much below forecasts.

The dollar posted the biggest weekly in two months as a non-farm payrolls report indicated more jobs cuts than expected, frustrating forecasts and declining odds that the Federal Reserve will lift stimulus and start a series of interest rate hikes that would happen sooner-than-expected, as some speculations suggested, if the economy accelerated at a faster pace. Among the most important traded currencies, U.K.’s pound was the only not able to beat the dollar, as the recession in the U.K. continues a reality, with quantitative measures used by the Bank of England being ineffective so far and the parliament failing to reach a consensus regarding the nation’s budget deficit.

Analysts were frustrated as this week’s U.S. data didn’t meet their expectations, and traders sold dollar positions after the non-farm payrolls report were published, considering that the greenback had been trading high during most of the week as optimism was intense. Next week will provide a monthly retail sales report, which will be the next key-report to determine the dollar’s trends.

EUR/USD closed the week at 1.4408 after being traded around the 1.4300 level before the payrolls report came to public this Friday.

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The greeback pulled back from its sharp sell-off on Thursday, as weak US economic data spurred a return to risk aversion.

• In early trading, the dollar continued to lose ground following the better-than-expected US growth data, however the GBP/USD rally was capped at 1.6600, and the UK currency pulled down steadily, eventually closing down 0.6% ay 1.6448.
• US markets went through losses on Friday, with financials and materials leading the path, as risk aversion returned after Thursday’s optimism, strengthening support for the greenback.
• On the macroeconomic front, data revealed that US consumer spending declined 0.5% in September, the largest decline since December 2008, further buoying the dollar rally.
• Positive manufacturing data from the Midwest in the afternoon failed to dent dollar buying in the markets and traders acknowledged that part of this may have been due to month-end flows into the US currency related to foreign portfolios.
• The US currency has continued to climb in trading this morning, currently half a percent up, as investors remain cautious ahead of big events this week, including interest rate decisions in the UK, eurozone and US.

The pound continued to rally yesterday and is now poised to snap a three-month decline versus the euro, as the UK showed positive economic signals.

• Data from the Bank of England revealed that UK net consumer lending rose less than expected in September but the number of loans approved for house purchases did hit its highest level in 18- months.
• Mortgage approvals rose to 56,215 from a revised 52,970 in August, which is the highest level of approvals since February last year and marks a solid recovery from September 2008 when only 33,419 mortgages were approved.
• The more positive data saw traders trimming excessive short positions in the pound, enabling the UK currency to briefly extend gains over 1.12, and suggesting that the markets may have overreacted to the surprisingly weak GDP data last week.
• Analysts noted that the UK currency also benefited as the euro fought to stem its broad slide this week, as traders saw the slump in global equities earlier in the week as a sign to sell the single currency.

In an uncertain day for the UK economy, the pound lost as much as 2.0% to the euro on Friday, sharply reversing its recent rally to close down at 1.0862.

• Data revealed that the UK economy unexpectedly contracted by 0.4% between July and September this year, confirming that the UK is still in recession.
• Quarterly growth of 0.2% had been expected, although expectations had been tempered by recent figures showing no growth in retail sales in September and a 2.5% decline in industrial output in August.
• Importantly, the disappointing GDP figures may now lead the Bank of England to consider the possibility of extending their asset purchase scheme in their November meeting in order to sustain the evidently fragile recovery.
• Recent comments from policymakers had led markets to believe that the UK would be tightening monetary policies, however the tone is likely to be quite different following Friday’s GDP figure.
• In trading this morning, the pound remains under pressure with investors continuing to sell the UK currency following last week’s disappointing data.

Sterling’s rally against the euro persisted on Friday, albeit with slightly less momentum, with the price closing the week at 1.0971, up 0.8% on the day.

• Sterling’s volatile run continued with a modest climb at the end of last week, as investors squeezed what more they could out of a rally that is expected to fade.
• Comments from BoE member Paul Fisher breathed some life into the pound, which has come under heavy pressure in recent weeks, when he stated that the quantitative easing programme is having its desired effect.
• His remarks built on those of Charles Bean earlier in the week and were seen as a departure from the Bank’s hitherto-drab assessments of the UK recovery and relaxed opinion of sterling’s decline.
• Investors reacted positively to the words, feeling that they may have been too quick to price in a further extension of QE into the market.
• In trading this morning however, sterling has slipped back, currently hovering just above 1.09, as investors resume selling the UK currency after another BoE member this time spoke of the need to continue the asset purchase programme.

The aussie climbed a further two cents yesterday as figures revealed rising employment in Australia, and as rising risk appetite supported strong demand for high yielding currencies.

• The Australian dollar continued to push higher as encouraging data from the labour market gave investors further cause to buy into Australian assets.
• The recent rate hike to 3.25% has increased the yield gap between the two currencies, and the recent downturn in unemployment has simply reinforced the sentiment that Australia is at the forefront of the global economic recovery, strengthening aussie demand.
• Additionally, gold prices pushed record highs for the third straight day yesterday, which supported demand for the commodity driven aussie dollar.
• The pound has slipped below the 1.77 mark in trading this morning, though its rate of decline has slowed following comments from Ben Bernanke
• The Fed Chairman spoke of the possibility of tightening the US monetary policy which has led some investors to trim their long positions in the aussie dollar.

Sterling reversed a three-day decline against the kiwi, posting marginal gains following a rise in risk aversion, closing the day at 2.1682.

• It was a choppy session for sterling, which initially dropped to a low of 2.1476 in early trading, as a lack of major economic data gave support to the higher-yielding currency.
• However, having dipped, the pound rebounded strongly, regaining over two cents as global equities backed off to trade in the red.
• Weak European stocks were followed in by the US markets, easing risk appetite and allowing the UK currency to stabilize in the afternoon, consolidating its position above 2.1650.
• In the early hours of this morning, the pound relinquished its gains as the kiwi found support from strong employment data from its neighbour Australia, and as higher Asian equities reaffirmed demand for the New Zealand dollar.
• However, the pound has found broad support as the European markets open, with the price currently hovering just below 2.17.