Euro Drops Against Major Peers Before Spain Debt Auctions

The euro fell to less than $1.30 for the first time in two months as Spanish bond yields touched a 2012 high after a minister called on the European Central Bank to do more to stem debt-market turmoil.

The 17-nation currency dropped for a second day against the yen and reached the lowest since 2010 versus the pound. The yen strengthened against all of its 16 most-traded counterparts. China’s yuan weakened as the central bank widened the currency’s trading band. Higher-yielding currencies trimmed losses against the dollar after U.S. retail sales rose in March and yields on Spanish government securities pared increases.

“There’s still a hesitation with respect to trading in European bond markets,” said Nick Bennenbroek, head of currency strategy at Wells Fargo & Co. in New York. “The U.S. data was a little bit better than expected. It’s causing a minor risk-on rally.”

The euro fell 0.3 percent to $1.3040 at 9:59 a.m. in New York after dropping to $1.2995, the weakest since Feb. 16. The shared currency weakened 0.7 percent to 105.12 yen after declining 0.8 percent on April 13. The euro slipped 0.2 percent to 82.35 U.K. pence after reaching 82.10 pence, the lowest since September 2010. The yen rose 0.4 percent to 80.58 per dollar.