* US jobless claims, Fed index readings bolster dollar
* Dollar 'getting over shock' of weak inflation figures-analyst
* Investors await Kuroda presser, after BOJ maintains policy
TOKYO, June 16 (Reuters) - The dollar stood tall in Asia on Friday, on track for weekly gains against a currency basket, after upbeat U.S. economic data gave investors reason to hope the U.S. central bank will stick with its plan to hike rates.
The dollar index, which tracks the greenback against six major peers, added 0.1 percent to 97.491 .DXY , and was up 0.6 percent for the week.
The dollar rose 0.2 percent to 111.18 yen JPY= , on track to gain 1.1 percent for the week.
It ticked up to a session high of 111.27 yen, its highest since June 2, after the Bank of Japan kept monetary policy steady as expected, before quickly paring its gain.
The BOJ also upgraded its assessment of private consumption and overseas growth, signalling its confidence that an export-driven economic recovery was broadening and gaining momentum.
Investors awaited a news conference at 3:30 p.m. (0630 GMT)with BOJ Governor Haruhiko Kuroda, who is expected to reassure markets that the central bank was in no hurry to follow the Federal Reserve's tapering example, according to sources familiar with BOJ thinking. the BOJ, there were no big surprises there," said Mitul Kotecha, head of Asia macro strategy for Barclays (LON:BARC) in Singapore.
"Obviously, the dollar is reacting more positively today" than it did on Wednesday, after the downbeat U.S. economic data that preceded the Fed announcement.
On Wednesday, the Fed raised interest rates as widely expected, and also released some preliminary details of its plan to begin paring its $4 trillion-plus debt holdings. of the central bank's announcements, however, downbeat inflation and retail sales data earlier sent the dollar into a tailspin. dollar now seems to be getting over its shock from the core CPI release," said Masafumi Yamamoto, chief currency strategist for Mizuho Securities in Tokyo.
He noted that the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) was relatively hawkish, releasing its plan for balance sheet reduction earlier than expected and keeping the interest rate outlook unchanged - despite market expectations for a slowing in the tempo of rate hikes.
"It will be increasingly difficult to short the dollar, he added.
Thursday's run of U.S. economic data gave dollar bulls some reason for cheer. The Labor Department said initial claims for state unemployment benefits dropped 8,000 to a seasonally adjusted 237,000 for the week ended June 10, lower than the 242,000 that economists had predicted. readings of the New York Fed's Empire State business conditions index and the Philadelphia Fed business conditions index also both surpassed economists' expectations. yields underpinned the dollar. The benchmark U.S. 10-year Treasury yield US10YT=RR was last at 2.174 percent in Asian trade, above its U.S. close of 2.162 percent. It had fallen as low as 2.103 percent on Wednesday after the downbeat data was published.
The euro EUR= was steady on the day at $1.1147, well below a seven-month high of $1.1296 touched on Wednesday, and down 0.6 percent for the week.
Sterling edged up 0.1 percent to $1.2773 GBP= , getting a lift overnight after the Bank of England (BoE) came closer to hiking interest rates than many had believed it would. As many as three members of the BoE's policy committee surprised financial markets by voting for a rise in interest rates. It was still down 1.4 percent for the week so far. unexpectedly tight 5-3 vote came despite signs of a slowdown in Britain's economy, and uncertainty over Britain's political outlook since Prime Minister Theresa May's failure to win a parliamentary majority in last week's election.