Euro at multi-year lows against dollar, yen

Tokyo - The euro touched multi-month lows against the dollar and yen on Wednesday as investors fret about the impact on the eurozone economy of possible fresh sanctions against Russia following the downing of Flight MH17.

In afternoon Tokyo trade, the single currency bought $1.3464 and ¥136.54, down from $1.3465 and ¥136.62 in New York late Tuesday.

However, it is up marginally from the earlier exchanges when it touched $1.3458 at one point, its lowest since November, and ¥136.40 its weakest level since February. The dollar fetched ¥101.41 compared with ¥101.45 in US trade.

The greenback was supported by data showing US inflation slowed in June to 0.3%, from 0.4% in May, suggesting there was no need for the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates sooner than the expected middle of 2015.

The euro is facing selling pressure as investors worry that another round of sanctions on Russia will have a knock-on effect for the eurozone.

Moscow is facing fresh measures over its support of Ukrainian rebels who have been accused of shooting down Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 last week.

But with the eurozone heavily reliant on its giant eastern neighbour for energy supplies, there are fears the bloc's already fragile economy could suffer as a result.

Also adding to the geopolitical tensions, major US, European and Canadian airlines cancelled flights to and from Israel Tuesday, after a rocket fired from Gaza struck near its main international airport in Tel Aviv.

However, IG Securities' Junichi Ishikawa said the euro's weakness may be more linked to a possible divergence in monetary policy between the European Central Bank and the Fed.

The ECB has launched unprecedented easing measures, as the Fed scales back its stimulus programme, which tends to support the dollar.

In other trading, the Indonesian rupiah battled back against the dollar after the reform-minded governor of Jakarta, Joko Widodo, was declared winner of Indonesia's closely fought presidential election.

The rupiah had dropped as low as 11 620 against the dollar late Tuesday owing to uncertainty over whether Widodo's rival would contest the vote results, but the unit quickly bounced back.

It was trading at 11 507 against the greenback on Wednesday.