The euro/dollar exchange rate is stable in the course of Friday session, while the yen rises after the United States has launched one of the most powerful non-nuclear bombs in Afghanistan, and amid a further escalation of the situation related to North Korea.
Fears of market participants about the escalation of tension in the world intensified after the news that the US dropped the most powerful non-nuclear bombs at their disposal on the position of militants in Afghanistan. The GBU-43/B bomb weighing 9.5 tons is also known as the "mother of all bombs." It was first tested in 2003 and has not been used since.
According to the Ministry of Defense of Afghanistan, 36 militants were killed, and three underground tunnels, weapons and ammunition were destroyed. The civilians did not suffer as a result of the attack, says CNN with reference to the Ministry of Defense of Afghanistan.
In North Korea, Saturday will be celebrated in honor of the birthday of Kim Il Sung, and some experts fear that the authorities can use this occasion to demonstrate strength.
Fluctuations in exchange rates on Friday are less pronounced, and the volume of transactions is much lower than usual, since trades in major markets, including the United States and Great Britain, are not in progress - many countries in the western world have declared a holiday on Good Friday. Most European states will also rest on Monday.
Next week, trading volumes are expected to increase and volatility will increase as traders prepare for the first round of the presidential election in France, scheduled for April 23.
At the moment of writing, the euro was worth $1.0612 compared with $1.0613 on Thursday.
EUR/JPY fell to 115.56 against 115.78 the day before. The dollar to Japanese currency fell from 109.09 to 108.91 yen.