Euro rises past 1.18 versus dollar

Euro rose in American trade away from the lowest since August 17 for the third straight session against the dollar, following Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis President Neel Kashkari's opening remarks at the Regional Economic Conditions Conference hosted by the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis.

As of 05:05 GMT, EUR/USD rose 0.55% to 1.1804 from the opening of 1.1740, with an intraday high at 1.1818, and a low at 1.1739. 

Earlier German data showed a higher than expected trade balance surplus at 21.6 billion euros in August, while French industrial production slowed down unexpectedly in the same month, as Italian industrial output accelerated unexpectedly in August as well. 

Otherwise, markets await speeches by ECB president Mario Draghi and his Federal Reserve counterpart, Janet Yellen' later this week, in addition to the Federal Open Market Committee's minutes of the September 26-27 meeting.