Dollar steadies after slide on US data

TOKYO, Nov 15 (Reuters) The dollar steadied against the yen on Wednesday after sliding on soft producer prices and retail sales figures that suggested a slowing U.S. economy.

The market stayed focused on data ahead of a bevy of U.S.

reports that should further help shape interest rate expectations, including minutes due on Wednesday from the Federal Reserve's last policy meeting, and consumer prices data on Thursday.

''While many players want to sell the dollar now, a higher-than-expected CPI could boost expectations for a rate hike and push up the dollar to 119 yen,'' said a trader at a Japanese bank.

The yen stayed supported after data on Monday showed that Japan's economy grew at a 2.0 percent annual rate in the July-to-September quarter, reinforcing a view that the Bank of Japan will raise rates in the next few months.

But investors were cautious about chasing the yen higher as they wait to hear what BOJ Governor Toshihiko Fukui says about monetary policy at a news conference after the central bank ends a two-day meeting on Thursday, traders said.

The BOJ is widely expected to keep rates at 0.25 percent at the meeting.

The dollar was little changed at 117.65 yen after falling around 0.5 percent the previous day.

The euro was also nearly flat at $1.2805.

The single European currency cut gains on Tuesday after French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin called for more collaboration among euro zone monetary authorities on managing the exchange rate.

His comments were initially taken as a call for a weaker euro, as some euro zone officials are concerned that the currency's strength will hamper European exports and economic growth.

The euro held at 150.70 yen, in sight of the all-time high of 151.48 yen struck last week.

The dollar was sold in the previous session on data that showed U.S core producer prices fell 0.9 percent in October and retail sales fell 0.2 percent in the same month.

REUTERS PDS VP0726