Ailing dollar falls to historic low against euro

The ailing US dollar tumbled to a historic low against the euro Tuesday as concerns mounted about US economic growth after the Federal Reserve trimmed back its growth projections, traders said.

Fears of slower economic growth, largely driven by a lingering housing slump and a related credit squeeze, have weighed heavily on the dollar in recent weeks.

Fears that overseas investors and countries, especially China which holds over a trillion dollars in foreign exchange reserves, could sell or convert their dollar holdings have also depressed the dollar.

The euro, which has rocketed in value against the dollar this year, soared as high as 1.4853 dollar. It was at 1.4836 dollars at 2200 GMT, compared with 1.4665 dollars late Monday.

The euro hits its highest level against the dollar since the single currency's creation in 1999.
"When concerns over the economy grow, you turn to stable currencies -- for example the dollar, but ultimately the dollar is going down so now you would buy the euro," said Neil Mellor, a currency strategist at Bank of New York.

Falling interest rates have also depressed the dollar, the Fed cut borrowing costs in September and October in a bid to underpin economic momentum, as investors generally prefer to invest in countries where rates are rising or higher.

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