Dollar Begins Year With Surge

The dollar opened the 1995 trading year with a powerful surge Tuesday, hitting the highest level against the yen in nearly five months, resuming its advance on Mexico’s peso and gaining on other key currencies.

News of potentially worrisome inflation in the U.S. economy, which weakened the bond market, failed to dissuade dollar buyers as it has done recently.

Traders said the most significant improvement in the dollar was against the yen, where dollar-buying pushed the U.S. currency’s level above 100.50 yen, considered an important technical barrier. Once it surpassed that level, more dollar-buyers emerged.

Exchange Currency in Dollars Dollar in foreign currency

Canada .7114 1.4057 France .1865 5.3620 Germany .6431 1.5550 < Great Britain 1.5635 .6396 Japan .009945 100.55