Thursday, the leu closed at 4.6155/4.6180 per euro.
The leu opened higher versus the euro on Friday, and touched an early high at 4.60 units, in a quiet market. Some dealers said the leu gains could be fueled by a delayed reaction to Thursday’s statements of the European Central Bank president Mario Draghi, according to whom the bank is ready to take all the necessary measures to protect the euro.
Romania’s currency lost some ground in mid-trade, but the central bank set the official exchange rate at 4.6118, about 0.2% stronger on the day. Against the US dollar, the leu gained almost 1.4% to 3.7575 units, from 3.8098 units on Thursday.
The national currency fell to historic lows against both the euro and the dollar earlier this week, amid political tensions. Since January, the leu weakened by 7.4% against the euro and by almost 15% versus the US dollar.
In the money market, overnight rates were at 4.8%-5.3% a year, nearly unchanged on the day.