Asian currencies mixed

Asian currencies ended the week mixed against the dollar as hopes of an economic recovery prompted speculators to sell the yen and take more risks.
JAPANESE YEN: The yen kept sliding over the past week, ducking under 100 against the dollar for the first time in five months amid signs of a recovery in the United States, dealers said.
It stood at 100.29 against the dollar in New York late Friday, down from 97.96 a week earlier.
The Japanese unit lost ground against the greenback as market players welcomed a pledge by world leaders at a Group of 20 summit to step up efforts to tackle the economic crisis.
"The actions by Washington and leaders of the 20 largest economies have helped to restore risk appetite," said Kathy Lien at Global Forex Trading in New York.
Hopes of an economic recovery prompted speculators to take more risks and to sell the Japanese currency, which had soared in the last year with investors seeking shelter from the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression of the 1930s.
AUSTRALIAN DOLLAR: The Australian dollar closed Friday at 71.35 US cents, up from the previous week's close of 69.96 US cents.
NEW ZEALAND DOLLAR: The New Zealand dollar finished Friday at 58.56 US cents, up from 57.57 cents the previous week.
HONG KONG: The US-pegged Hong Kong unit was at 7.751, unchanged from a week earlier.
INDONESIAN RUPIAH: The rupiah ended at 11,525 to the dollar, down from 11,505 the week before.
PHILIPPINE PESO: The peso traded higher at 47.87 to the dollar on Friday from 48.19 the previous week.
SINGAPORE DOLLAR: The dollar was at 1.5034 Singapore dollars Friday from 1.5078 a week earlier.
SOUTH KOREAN WON: The won further strengthened to 1,340.50 to the dollar Friday, compared with 1,349.0 won a week earlier, as local stock prices surged and the country's foreign exchange reserves increased considerably in March.
TAIWAN DOLLAR: The Taiwan dollar closed at 33.380 to the US dollar, up from 33.779 the week before.
THAI BAHT: The baht was relatively stable against the dollar during a week of light trade that moved in line with regional currencies, dealers said.