JAPANESE YEN: The yen slightly firmed against the dollar during the week with lingering concerns that the massive US current account and budget deficits would prompt the region to sell down its reserve dollar holdings, dealers said.
The Japanese unit stood at 105.28 yen to the greenback Friday afternoon, compared with 105.45 a week earlier.
Earlier in the week the dollar was hit after reports that South Korea and Taiwan planned to sell down some of their huge dollar reserves but the US unit then steadied when they insisted this was not the case.
South Korea, however, said that it planned to diversify its foreign reserves so as to ensure better returns, a move analysts believe could still pressure the dollar going forward.
The dollar on Wednesday recovered some of the ground lost as the market took on board much weaker-than-expected Japanese trade figures for January.
But it was weaker Thursday and Friday with lingering concerns over US deficits despite new spikes in oil prices.
AUSTRALIAN DOLLAR: The Australian dollar is expected to consolidate recent gains next week amid widespread expectations the central bank will lift interest rates for the first time in 15 months.
The currency ended the week at 78.88 US cents, up from the previous week's 78.43 US cents.
NEW ZEALAND DOLLAR: The kiwi ended the week at 72.20 US cents up from the previous week's close of 71.73 US cents.
HONG KONG DOLLAR: Hong Kong's US-pegged dollar was at 7.80 to the greenback on Friday, the same level it traded at a week earlier.
SINGAPORE DOLLAR: The US dollar was at 1.6329 Singapore dollars on Friday from 1.6415 the previous week.
INDONESIAN RUPIAH: The Indonesian rupiah closed slightly higher at 9,265-9,270 to the US dollar compared with 9,250-9,255 a week earlier.
PHILIPPINE PESO: The Philippine peso weakened to 54.76 to the US dollar on February 24 from 54.695 to the US dollar on February 18. There was no trading on February 25, a national holiday.
SOUTH KOREAN WON: The won closed at 1,008.50 won per dollar Friday, compared with 1,024.10 won a week earlier. The won jumped to an 87-month high of 1,006.10 per dollar Tuesday, up sharply from the previous day's close of 1,023.30 as foreign investors continued to buy local stocks and exports looked set to continue strong growth, dealers said.
Then the dollar hit a one-month low against the euro hours later on reports that South Korea, which has the world's fourth largest forex reserves, mostly in dollars, planned to cut its holdings of the US currency.
South Korea's central bank said Wednesday it would diversify its foreign reserves but denied it planned to reduce its dollar holdings after media speculation it was about to do so sent the US currency plunging world-wide.
A dealer with Chohung Bank said the dollar was expected within a limited range of 1,005 won and 1,010 won per dollar in the coming week as the greenback is expected to find a strong support at 1,005 won while much of export earnings are expected to be supplied at 1,010 won.
TAIWAN DOLLAR: The Taiwan dollar rose 1.16 percent over the week to end at 31.175 against the greenback Friday. It finished at 31.542 a week earlier.
THAI BAHT: The Thai baht appreciated against the US dollar during the past week, in line with other regional currencies, particularly the Korean won and Taiwan dollar, dealers said.
The Thai unit closed Friday at 38.38-40 baht to one dollar, compared to the previous week's close of 38.57-59.