Dollar Gains Ground On Mark

The dollar jumped to a 3-1/2-month high against the German mark and also rose vs. Japanese yen Wednesday, capping a year in which the U.S. currency thrived on the strength of America’s economy.

In light New Year’s Eve trading, the dollar gained from last-minute purchases by traders who anticipate further dollar gains as Japan and other Asian countries struggle to revive their sagging economies.

The mark’s slump Wednesday bucked historic trends in which European currencies generally do well at year-end.

Exchange Currency in Dollars Dollar in foreign currency

Canada .6995 1.4295

France .1660 6.0230

Germany .5560 1.7987

Great Britain 1.6517 .6054

Italy .000566 1767.00

Japan .007668 130.42

Mexico .123993 8.0650