world currencies

Gainers

• Financial Select Sector SPDR (NYSE: XLF) up 1.81% to $16.33. Midday surge following the Fed giving the nod for banks to increase dividends.
  
  Several banks increased their dividends today, including J.P. Morgan (NYSE: JPM), BB&T (NYSE: BBT), and US Bancorp (NYSE: USB), with stock buybacks also announced.
• SPDR Gold Shares (NYSE: GLD) up 1.09% to $138.46.
  
  Gold getting some attention today, as investors are looking for a little insulation amid fluctuating world currencies.

Bullion prices fell this week, with gold and silver marking a second consecutive monthly decline in both New York and London.

Gold's fall has been driven significantly by a rising US dollar, which has climbed 2 percent against other world currencies in January ...

US and European stocks stocks ended lower for the week and the month. The major US indexes fell between 3.5 and 5.4 percent in January ...

ETF Movers: HIGHER:

• Financial Select Sector SPDR (NYSE: XLF) +0.7%. Up but off the day highs.
• Materials Select Sector SPDR (NYSE: XLB) +1.4%.
  
  Strength in commodity names it holds like Freeport
• McMoran (NYSE: FCX), Newmont (NYSE: NEM), and Alcoa (NYSE: AA).
• Claymore/MAC Global Solar Energy (NYSE: TAN) +2.1%.
  
  Solar names reacting positive to jump in crude
• United States Oil (NYSE: USO) +1%. Big draw down in crude inventories and inflaiton fears
• SPDR Gold Shares (NYSE: GLD) +0.6%.

We're all familiar with the US Dollar's struggles during this economic downturn. However, it is necessary to put its ups and downs into perspective with the other major world currencies to get an accurate picture of the actual fluctuations in rates of exchange.

The National Bureau of Economic Research declared the official start of the recession...

Gold climbed Wednesday for the second straight day as the U.S. dollar slid against other world currencies and despite a government report showing an annual dip in inflation.

Silver advanced as well but platinum fell short. In other markets, oil closed higher while U.S. stocks ended mixed.