The US dollar declined versus the euro and then yen declined on slightly increased appetite for higher-yielding currencies after the US Federal Reserve authorized other central banks to auction dollar to banks.

Also hurt by a second day of gains in oil prices and an unexpected gain in first-time jobless claims to 455,000 last week, the dollar traded at $1.4375 to the euro just before noon in New York.

The dollar was also weaker against the South African rand, to R8.2305 to the dollar, and versus the Swedish krona to kr6.6910 to the dollar on a decline in demand for US government debt.

At the same time, the yen traded at \150.6426 to the euro and at \104.795 to the greenback while it dropped to \70.131 to the New Zealand dollar and to \83.5687 to the Australian dollar.

The Swiss franc gained in relation to the US dollar but declined versus the euro as the Swiss National Bank held interest rates at 2.75 percent in an effort to reduce inflation there, but earlier gains against the greenback were cut on the Fed’s authorization for dollar auctions.

In late morning trade in New York, the Swiss franc traded at SFr1.0994 to the US dollar and at SFr1,5805 to the shared currency.

Meanwhile, the Canadian dollar gained on the US dollar as the price of crude oil went up and on moves by central banks to aid markets, with the loonie trading at C$1.0691 to the greenback at just before noon in New York.