Euro fades in face of French election risks

London

THE euro fell around half a per cent on Monday as concerns over French politics ahead of presidential elections set for April and May drew investors' focus back to a year of political risks to Europe's established order.

The US dollar was broadly steadier after a poor set of wages data on Friday quashed speculation of a near-term rise in US interest rates and sealed the currency's fourth straight weekly fall, its worst start to a year in three decades.