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* Dollar gains vs euro since May 2014 reach 27 pct
* Dollar index up 24 percent over same period
* Yen halts 3-year slide
* China's yuan steadies after further falls over Christmas
By Patrick Graham
LONDON, Dec 31 (Reuters) - The dollar was set to end 2015
with a 9 percent annual gain against a basket of currencies on
Thursday, a fall in December failing to take the shine off its
strongest run higher since the turn of the century.
In a rally that dates back to May 2014, the greenback has
now appreciated by more a fifth in value against a basket of
currencies .DXY and by more than a quarter against the euro.
It was marginally higher against the single currency on the
day, down a touch against the yen and in retreat against the
Australian and New Zealand dollars, which recovered some ground
along with global oil prices.
While the consensus among major bank analysts is still for
the dollar to gain against peers such as the euro and yen in
2016, such forecasts are less widespread than a year ago and,
with some exceptions, stop short of predicting a rise to parity
with the euro.
Richard Benson, co-head of portfolio investment at currency
fund Millennium Global, said rises in U.S. bond yields since the
Federal Reserve delivered its first hike in interest rates on
Dec. 16 pointed to a strong start to next year for the dollar.
"The yield differential between dollar and euro rates is
enormous. The 2-year yield implies the euro at $1.03," he said.
That compared to an exchange rate of $1.0923 on Thursday.
EUR=EBS
"If you look at the performance of macro hedge funds this
year, a lot of them are flat so they may feel obliged to chase
the market at the start of next year. The standout for me is the
plain vanilla euro-dollar, euro-sterling rate differential
story."
The dollar has lost almost 5 percent to the euro in the past
month and the dollar index almost 2 percent. That has been put
down by most to sales by investors cashing in on gains made in
this year's rally, although there has been some talk this week
of a rebalancing of holdings by one or more of the big central
banks.
Sterling, driven to an 8-month low on Tuesday by fears over
Britain's referendum on leaving the European Union, steadied at
$1.4830. It has fallen 4.7 percent against a basket of
currencies this year. GBP=
The yen was a touch higher on the day at 120.36 yen and is
less than 1 percent weaker over the past 12 months, halting a
run of double digit annual depreciations since 2011. JPY=EBS
Offshore rates for China's yuan CNH= also looked steadier,
at 6.5700 yuan per dollar, having briefly breached 6.60 yuan per
dollar for the first time since the second half of 2011 on
Wednesday.
A substantially weaker yuan was among many major banks' top
trades for 2016 in a batch of annual outlooks published in the
past month.
"People are a bit nervous of chasing the yuan higher," said
a dealer with one international bank in London. "There is
clearly the danger that, just as they did earlier this month,
the authorities there decide to push it the other way for a few
days to shake out the speculators."
(Editing by Ruth Pitchford)