Against the US dollar, the leu’s indicative dropped 0.72% to 3.2084 units.
The leu opened down at 4.363/4.365 to the euro, from 4.353/4.336 to the euro at Wednesday’s closing. It later gained ground and traded near 4.355 per euro toward the afternoon, with dealers suspecting a second intervention from the central bank to prop the national currency.
Dealers estimate the central bank sold over EUR200 million Wednesday to prevent the leu from depreciating too much against the euro, after the cost of Italian debt rose above 7% a year, sending a negative signal to the markets.
Elsewhere in the region Thursday at noon, the leu’s peers were flat versus the euro, after losses of up to 1% a day earlier.
On the money market, overnight rates rose to 5%-5.5% a year, from 4.8%-5.3% a year Wednesday.