* Graphic: World FX rates in 2020 https://tmsnrt.rs/2RBWI5E (Adds quotes, updates prices; previous LONDON)
By Karen Brettell
NEW YORK, Dec 29 (Reuters) - The dollar hit a more than two-year low against the euro on Tuesday, and riskier currencies including the Australian and Canadian dollars gained as optimism that U.S. lawmakers would enlarge stimulus payments to individuals boosted risk sentiment.
The House of Representatives voted on Monday to more than triple stimulus payments to Americans, to $2,000 from $600, sending the plan on to the Senate for a vote. possibility of another U.S. stimulus package has lifted the market's spirits,” FX analysts at Scotiabank said in a report.
“Still, market optimism may be somewhat unwarranted as the legislation faces little chance of passing in the Senate as Republicans attempt to rein in spending - but rejecting increased payments amid pressure from Trump could risk their showing in the Jan. 5 Georgia Senate runoffs,” they added.
Georgia Republican incumbents Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue face crucial Senate runoffs next month that will determine who controls the chamber.
The dollar fell 0.35% against a basket of currencies =USD to 89.92. It is holding just above a two-and-a-half year low of 89.72 reached on Dec. 17.
Investors are betting the greenback will continue to decline - it fell more than 6% this year - on expectations the Federal Reserve will hold interest rates near zero and the U.S. economy will struggle to recover from coronavirus-related shutdowns.
Data released by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission on Monday showed traders increased bets against the dollar in the week ended Dec. 21 to $26.6 billion. That was the highest in three months, according to Reuters calculations. Aussie AUD=D3 gained 0.34% to $0.7608. It reached $0.7639 on Dec. 17, the highest since June 2018.
The greenback slipped 0.40% against the Canadian dollar CAD=D3 to 1.2797 Canadian dollars. The loonie reached 1.2684 on Dec. 17, the strongest since April 2018.
The euro EUR=EBS gained 0.40% to $1.2265 after getting as high as $1.2274, the highest since April 2018.
The single currency has also been buoyed by a trade deal reached last week for Britain to leave the European Union. Though the agreement is not comprehensive, it avoided a damaging no-deal outcome. GBP=D3 rose 0.28% to $1.3496 following a two-day dip. It was as high as $1.3625 this month, a level unseen since May 2018, but investors have taken some profits since the Brexit trade deal was struck.
Bitcoin < BTC=BTSP> fell 1.17% to $26,720 after hitting a record $28,378 on Sunday.
XRP XRP=BTSP the third-biggest digital currency, slumped by over a fifth to its lowest since July after Coinbase, a major U.S. virtual coin exchange, said it would suspend XRP trading. move came after U.S. regulators charged Ripple, a blockchain firm associated with XRP, with conducting a $1.3 billion unregistered securities offering. Ripple has denied the charges. bid prices at 10:00AM (1500 GMT) Description
RIC
Last
U.S. Close Pct Change
YTD Pct
High Bid
Low Bid
Previous
Change
Session
=USD
89.9230
90.2430
-0.35%
+0.00%
+90.2530
+89.8510 Euro/Dollar
EUR=EBS
$1.2265
$1.2216
+0.40%
+9.40%
+$1.2275
+$1.2207 Dollar/Yen
JPY=D3
103.5650
103.8250
-0.28%
-4.68%
+103.8000 +103.5300 Euro/Yen
EURJPY=
127.06
126.77
+0.23%
+4.19%
+127.2300 +126.7100 Dollar/Swiss
0.8841
0.8886
-0.51%
-8.64%
+0.8887
+0.8831 Sterling/Dollar GBP=D3
$1.3496
$1.3460
+0.28%
+1.77%
+$1.3521
+$1.3443 Dollar/Canadian CAD=D3
1.2797
1.2849
-0.40%
-1.49%
+1.2849
+1.2780 Aussie/Dollar
AUD=D3
$0.7608
$0.7583
+0.34%
+8.43%
+$0.7619
+$0.7577 Euro/Swiss
EURCHF=
1.0843
1.0852
-0.08%
-0.08%
+1.0875
+1.0836 Euro/Sterling
EURGBP=
0.9085
0.9078
+0.08%
+7.46%
+0.9094
+0.9057 NZ
NZD=D3
$0.7156
$0.7103
+0.70%
+6.30%
+$0.7164
+$0.7099 Dollar/Dollar
Dollar/Norway
NOK=D3
8.5985
8.6490
-0.66%
-2.05%
+8.6405
+8.5860 Euro/Norway
EURNOK=
10.5480
10.5470
+0.01%
+7.22%
+10.5815
+10.4950 Dollar/Sweden
8.1861
8.2569
-0.53%
-12.42%
+8.2842
+8.1795 Euro/Sweden
EURSEK=
10.0453
10.0990
-0.53%
-4.05%
+10.1328
+10.0430