Euro falls for first time in five sessions against dollar

Euro fell against the dollar in American trade away from March 28 highs for the second straight session, following earlier data from the euro zone and the US, while Deutsche Bundesbank President Jens Weidmann is due to deliver a speech titled "A spirit of optimism in Europe - guidelines for a crisis-proof monetary union" at the Ludwig Erhard Lecture, in Berlin.

As of 02:52 GMT, EUR/USD fell 0.44% to 1.2313 from the opening of 1.2356, with an intraday low at 1.2351, and the highest since March 28 at 1.2396. 

Earlier French data showed the final reading for consumer prices rose 1% as expected in March, compared to no change in February, while industrial production fell 0.8%, compared to a 0.6% dip in January, while analysts expected a 0.1% rise. 

The European Central Bank released the minutes of the March 8 meeting, at which policymakers voted to keep the minimum bid rate at zero and the deposit rate at minus 0.40%, while carrying on the monetary easing program valued at 30 billion euros a month. 

Otherwise, earlier US data showed unemployment claims fell 9 thousand to 233 thousand from 242K in the previous reading, above expectations of 231K, while import prices steadied at zero, compared to a 0.3% rise in February, and missing expectations of 0.2%.