The U.S. dollar ended its strongest year since 2005 with gains versus major rivals as investors penciled in further strength in the U.S. economy and diverging monetary policy paths between a more hawkish Federal Reserve and dovish European and Japanese central banks. The benchmark DXY, +0.38% which measures the greenback against a basket of six rival currencies, traded at 90.269 in late North American trade, up 0.3% from Wednesday and by 12.8% since the end of 2013. The wider WSJ Dollar Index BUXX, -0.01% rose 0.38 point on Wednesday, to 83.04. The euro EURUSD, +0.00% is down around 12% versus the dollar in 2014, which is also the biggest drop since 2005. The U.S. currency has advanced 13.8% against the yen USDJPY, -0.03%. In other currencies, the pound GBPUSD, +0.00% rose to $1.5578, from $1.5555 on Tuesday, but lost 5.9% against the U.S. unit for the year. The Australian dollar AUDUSD, -0.04% exchanged hands at 81.81 U.S. cents, down from 81.84 cents on Tuesday. The Aussie lost 8.3% versus the U.S. unit in 2014.
Nymex reformulated gasoline blendstock for January RBF5, +0.79% the benchmark gasoline contract—fell nearly 2 cents, or 1.3%, to $1.435 a gallon. That’s 48% lower than the most actively traded contract this time last year, which settled at $2.786 a gallon.
Crude-oil prices finished 2014 down 46% lower as a selloff in oil markets continued Wednesday even as U.S. data showed a greater-than-expected decline in inventory. On the New York Mercantile Exchange, light, sweet crude futures for delivery in February CLG5, -0.76% fell 85 cents, or 1.6%, to settle at $53.27 a barrel. This time last year, the most-active crude contract settled at $98.42 a barrel, according to FactSet data.