* Dollar down 0.4 pct at 85.42 yen <JPY=>
* Dip below 15-yr low 84.82 could pave way towards 80 yen
* Weaker U.S. outlook, talk of Fed easing undermines dollar
* Japan's Noda: recent forex moves one-sided
* U.S. ADP jobs report eyed for direction
(Adds quote, updates prices)
By Neal Armstrong
LONDON, Aug 4 (Reuters) - The dollar neared a 15-year low
against the yen on Wednesday, staying under pressure across the
board as weak U.S. data and talk of further policy easing by the
Federal Reserve weighed on Treasury yields.
Data on Tuesday showed U.S. home purchase contracts tumbled
to a record low in June while factory orders fell more steeply
than expected, implying an anaemic economic recovery for the
remainder of this year. []
The numbers added to talk that the Fed might start a new
round of Treasuries buying to pump funds into the economy.
As the yen rose near highs last seen in 1995, Japanese
Finance Minister Yoshihiko Noda appeared to ramp up the
administration's verbal warnings, saying current moves in the
yen were somewhat one-sided.
"Excessive and disorderly currency moves would negatively
affect stability in the economy and financial markets, and
therefore it's undesirable. In this regard I am closely watching
market moves further," he added. []
But analysts said it would be difficult for Japanese
authorities to step in to weaken the yen at this stage.
Weak U.S. data and speculation of Fed easing pushed down
U.S. two-year Treasury yields <US2YT=RR> to a record low of 0.52
percent on Tuesday, suggesting limited upside for the dollar.
"We see further dollar weakness ahead, with the Fed making
it clear its priority is to support growth," said Ulrich
Leuchtmann, currency analyst at Commerzbank.
The dollar fell as far as 85.32 yen, its lowest since late
November, and was trading at 85.42 <JPY=> at 1100 GMT, down 0.4
percent on the day. Traders said a decline beyond the 15-year
low of 84.82 yen hit in November could open the way for the
dollar to slide to the all-time low below 80 yen.
Hefty options barriers are thought to be set around 85 yen,
meaning a drop in the dollar could pick up speed below that
level.
U.S. FOCUS OF CONCERN
European shares traded 0.8 percent lower after the Nikkei
average closed down 2 percent. <> []
The benchmark 10-year Japanese government bond yield slid to
a seven-year low below 1.0 percent on worries about the economy
and persistent deflation. []
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For a graphic on the yen and Japanese bond yields, click on:
http://graphics.thomsonreuters.com/F/08/JP_YNBND0810.gif
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"The implications for the currency markets (from falling
global bond yields) are far less clear than they have been in
the past. However, as the focus of concern is the United States,
I suspect it will prove a dollar negative," said Simon Derrick,
head of currency research at Bank of New York Mellon.
The dollar index, a gauge of the greenback's performance
against major currencies, was little changed at 80.614 <.DXY>,
after closing for the first time since January below its 200-day
moving average, coming in at 80.744 on Wednesday.
It is close to April lows at 80.031, with support at 79.724,
the 61.8 percent retracement of its November to June rally.
The euro fell 0.1 percent to $1.3217 <EUR=>, consolidating
after hitting a three-month high of $1.3262 the previous day.
Large expiry interest is at $1.3250 for the 1400 GMT cut on
Wednesday and Thursday, according to IFR's maturity calendar.
Reuters service IFR noted a large $1.3400 expiry, in the
region of 1 billion euros, set to roll off on Friday.
Traders will look to the U.S ADP employment report due out
at 1215 GMT for hints ahead of Friday's nonfarm payrolls data,
which is seen determining the dollar's near-term direction.
(Additional reporting by Tamawa Desai; Graphic by Scott Barber;
Editing by Ruth Pitchford, John Stonestreet)
