Dollar extends gains as optimism mounts over US-China trade talks

The dollar rose against most of its major counterparts on today's trading, extending gains on optimism about US-China trade negotiations as well as forecasts of a strong earnings season from most major companies.

Microsoft and Facebook reported strong earnings reports, with their earnings and revenues rising in the first quarter, exceeding analysts' expectations.

On the other hand, US President Donald Trump stated that "things are going well" in terms of the performance of the US economy and the progress of negotiations with the Chinese side.

A new round of negotiations between Washington and Beijing will be held on April 30 with the next round in Washington scheduled on May 8.

US government released the durable goods orders reading, which rose last month, while the jobless claims increased last week.

In terms of trade, the dollar index (against a number of major currencies) rose by 0.1% to 98.1 points at 16:48 GMT, with a high of 98.3 points and a low of 97.9 points.