The leu closed at 4.498/4.499 per euro, from 4.509/4.513 per euro at Thursday close.
The national currency opened at 4.507/4.509 to the euro and further appreciated, hitting the day’s high of 4.497 to the euro in the first half of the session.
The central bank set the leu’s reference at 4.4978 versus the euro, a fresh record high in the past three weeks. Against the US dollar, the leu’s indicative lost 0.2% to 3.3221 units.
In the money market, overnight rates rose to 5%-5.5% a year, from 2%-2.5% a year Thursday. Market participants said the higher rates were due to recent covert interventions from the central bank, which allegedly stepped in and sold euros to support the leu.