LONDON, Aug 5: The dollar held firm against the euro on Tuesday, buoyed by a fall in oil prices and as investors awaited what was expected to be a Federal Reserve decision to leave US interest rates unchanged.

The single European currency in late-day trade was at 1.5469 dollars against 1.5580 late Monday in New York.

The dollar was stable against the yen at 108.25 yen.

Oil prices fell below 119 dollars a barrel on Tuesday on concerns that a US economic slowdown and high energy costs are curbing consumer demand for gasoline and other petroleum products.

That position benefited the US dollar and the yen in particular as the economies of the United States and Japan are seen gaining the most from lower oil prices.

Better-than-expected key data on activity in the US services sector failed to help the US currency extend gains, with attention firmly focused on the Federal Reserve decision.

In London trade on Tuesday, the euro changed hands at 1.5469 dollars against 1.5580 late on Monday, at 167.45 yen (168.65), 0.7917 pounds (0.7934) and 1.6322 Swiss francs (1.6322).The dollar stood at 108.25 yen (108.25) and 1.0554 Swiss francs (1.0476). The pound was at 1.9535 dollars (1.9628).

On the London Bullion Market, the price of gold dipped to 882 dollars per ounce at the fixing from 905.75 dollars late on Monday.—AFP