The yen had risen to as high as ￥107.82 per US dollar and was last up 0.48 percent on the day at ￥108.04. The US dollar index initially benefited from the move into safe-haven assets, but those gains were erased after the Institute for Supply Management reported that the US manufacturing sector contracted significantly last month. Petrocurrencies rose slightly on the higher crude prices, but those were then largely offset by the overall move away from risk, Schamotta said. The US manufacturing sector last month contracted by the most in more than a decade, with order volumes crashing to a near 11-year low and factory employment falling for a fifth straight month, the institute said in a report. Although it weakened Friday, the greenback might ultimately benefit if slower US manufacturing dents hopes for global growth this year.
