New york: The US dollar remained steady on Friday, poised for a weekly gain, while the Japanese yen tested the significant 160-per-dollar level. The dollar index, which evaluates the greenback against a basket of currencies, including the yen and the euro, was stable at 99.434 and is on course for a 0.5 percent gain for the week.

According to Emirates News Agency, the yen weakened momentarily to the critical 160-per-dollar mark in early trading, marking the third consecutive occurrence of reaching this level. The euro was at $1.1612, showing a slight increase of 0.02 percent in Asian markets, with both the euro and sterling heading towards minor weekly declines. The British pound remained stable at $1.34228.

The Australian dollar experienced a slight decrease of 0.1 percent, settling at $0.71265, while the New Zealand dollar remained unchanged at $0.5867, achieving a 2 percent weekly gain.