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LONDON -- European financial markets regained a semblance of life Wednesday after the Christmas break but, with many players still on holiday, action was muted.
Paris, alone among major European equity markets to open Tuesday, and London both managed gains in thin trade and Amsterdam closed at an all-time high.
But the dollar shuffled toward the European close barely changed from opening levels.
"There's nothing on the [price] charts, nothing inspiring anywhere really," said Robin Poynder, chief currency dealer at Charterhouse in London.
The U.S. budget paralysis, which has kept the federal government partially closed for a second week, was an added deterrent to trade.
At one point the dollar was trading at 1.4309 marks and 102.80 yen versus opening levels of 1.4315 and 102.52. It was quoted at 1.4447 and 102.75 in late European business Friday.
The British pound had a good day, riding a bullish wave after a sizeable order sent it spiking upward overnight.
The order -- which was rumored to be out of the Far East or Middle East -- carried the pound to overnight highs of $1.5620 and 2.2335 marks as it reaped the benefits of extremely thin volume.
After an early bout of profit-taking, the pound retook the initiative and was trading at $1.5595 and 2.2312 marks late in the European day.
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