Dollar Awaits Production Report

The dollar weakened against most key currencies Monday in quiet foreign-exchange dealings, hurt by worries that the Federal Reserve won’t raise interest rates later this month.

Investors awaited an industrial production report Tuesday that could give clues about whether the Fed will approve or defer a rate increase at its Federal Open Market committee meeting Jan. 31.

Concerns that a drop in production could signal an economic slowdown - which makes it less probable that the Fed will push rates up - put pressure on the dollar. Higher rates benefit the dollar because they make dollar-denominated assets more attractive.

Canada .7080 1.4125 France .1890 5.2900 Germany .6521 1.5335 Great Britain 1.5675 .6380 Japan .010152 98.50