Dollar lower in holiday-thin trade, loonie oil drives, ruble gains By Reuters

By Saqib Iqbal Ahmed

NEW YORK (Reuters) – The dollar was little changed against a basket of currencies in thin holiday-impacted trading on Monday, while a jump in the price of oil on news that Washington will end sanctions waivers for major Iranian oil importers boosted the Canadian dollar and the Russian ruble.

The value of the greenback against six major currencies was 0.15% lower at 97.327. The index hit a two-week high of 97.485 Late Last Week.

Against the Japanese, the euro was 0.06% higher against the greenback.

Financial markets in Australia, Hong Kong and many major countries in Europe are closed on Monday for the Easter holiday. Currency trading continues globally but volume is expected to be light.

"With much of the market still out there," said Brad Bechtel, Global Head of FX at Jefferies, in New York.

The greenback has been established in recent years on the back of a global economy, and is expected to be stronger than the next.

Traders will be keenly watching the U.S. GDP report due on Friday for further clues on the health of the U.S. economy, analysts said.

On Monday, analysts said.

topped $ 74 at barrel on Monday, the White House said U.S. President Donald Trump, President of the United States, said:

With the jump in the price of oil, one of Canada's major exports, the Canadian dollar rose 0.2% against its U.S. counterpart.

The ruble hit its highest level against the euro since last April and a month-peak versus the dollar on Monday, driven by the price of the currency.

Sterling was a shade lower at $ 1.2982, dipping below the $ 1.30 handle and nearly 0.4 percent off a two-month low of $ 1.2945 hit last month. The currency is now at its lowest volatility in the United States.