FOREX - EUR/USD STEADY AHEAD OF U.S. NONFARM PAYROLLS

The euro was steady against the U.S. dollar on Friday, as markets were awaiting a highly anticipated U.S. nonfarm payrolls report later in the day, while comments by European Central Bank Chairman Ben Bernanke continued to weigh. 

Euro holds steady ahead of U.S. data

EUR/USD hit 1.3602 during late Asian trade, the session high; the pair subsequently consolidated at 1.3613, easing up 0.04%. 

The pair was likely to find support at 1.3549, Thursday's low and resistance at 1.3672, the high of January 3. 

Demand for the single currency weakened after ECB President Draghi reinforced the bank’s forward guidance on rates and said the bank was still ready to ready to take "further decisive action" if needed. 

Draghi reiterated that monetary policy will remain accommodative for as long as is needed in order to assist the economic recovery in the euro area. The ECB expects interest rates to remain at present or lower levels for an extended period of time, he said.

Draghi added that the ECB would act if there was unwarranted short term tightening in the money markets, or if the outlook for inflation worsened in the medium term, saying the ECB would consider "all possible instruments" to tackle these contingencies.

Meanwhile, investors were eyeing U.S. employment data to be released later in the day, after the Labor Department said the number of people who filed for unemployment assistance last week fell by 15,000 to 330,000 from the previous week’s revised total of 345,000. 

Economists had expected jobless claims to decline by 10,000. 

The euro was little changed against the pound, with EUR/GBP inching up 0.06% to 0.8261.