US dollar continues to push higher against the euro, as consumer confidence stumbles

The dollar rose against the single currency for a third consecutive day in its longest advance since August, as a report showed US consumer confidence fell this month.

• The euro struggled in trading yesterday after data showed that public sector lending in the eurozone declined by 0.3% in September compared to this period last year.
  
• The figure raises concern that there are still few signs that the ECB's unlimited provision of liquidity to banks is prompting any pick up in eurozone broad money lending, which could put pressure on the single currency.
  
• The euro then continued to slide, after data revealed that US consumer confidence unexpectedly fell in October as fears about future job prospects increasingly preyed upon the American public.
  
• The index fell to 47.7 from 53.4 in September, disappointing market expectations of a rise and spurring a return to perceived safety of the greenback.
  
• In addition, traders noted that as the single currency breached a key technical level at $1.4850, stop-losses were triggered, which pushed the single-currency to a two-week low of $1.4773.