Euro falls sharply vs dollar after Draghi comments

(AP) Euro falls sharply vs dollar after Draghi comments
NEW YORK
Comments about the euro from European Central Bank president Mario Draghi pushed the currency sharply lower against the dollar Thursday.

The euro fell to $1.3401 in late trading Thursday from $1.3525 late Wednesday.

Still, the euro has been trading above $1.30 since December and jumped above $1.35 last month. A stronger euro could raise the price of exports, possibly slowing economic activity.

ECB president Draghi said that he will keep a close eye on the impact of a stronger euro. Draghi says the currency’s strength is a sign that investors are more confident in the region, but it could hurt economic growth.

In other trading, the British pound rose to $1.5713 from $1.5666.

The dollar rose to 93.52 Japanese yen from 93.38 Japanese yen, to 0.9181 Swiss franc from 0.9095 Swiss franc and to 99.83 Canadian cents from 99.60 Canadian cents.