The Australian dollar rose toward the highest in more than a month after central bank Governor Glenn Stevens said the nation’s downturn may not be “one of the more serious” of the post-World War II era. The currency touched its highest since June 3 yesterday as purchases of new homes in the U.S. gained by the most in eight years, increasing demand for higher-yielding assets. The New Zealand dollar slipped from near its strongest since June 30 against the yen after the nation’s annual trade deficit unexpectedly widened in June. “Steven’s comments are very Aussie-positive,” said Sharada Selvanathan, a currency ... (full story)