The New Zealand dollar advanced as the greenback weakened following reports US president Barack Obama raised concerns about the strength of the US dollar during the Group of Seven summit in Germany. The White House later denied the reports.
The kiwi rose to 71.41 US cents at 8am in Wellington, from 70.50 cents at 5pm yesterday.
The trade-weighted index gained to 74.78 from 74.21 yesterday.
The US dollar index, which measures the greenback against a basket of currencies, fell after media reports citing a French diplomatic source said that President Obama had told people at the G-7 summit in southern Germany that the strong dollar is a problem.
A stronger currency weighs on the competitiveness of industries and exports.