The New Zealand dollar finished the year affected by some profit taking, but with its recent upward trend intact.
At the nominal 5pm close yesterday it was at 44.12USc, down from the 44.32c it was at on Thursday before the US dollar bounced gently overnight.
"We've had a big run-up in the last week or so - it's probably just some light profit taking ahead of year end," a currency dealer said.
"There were some long positions around in aussie and kiwi over the last week, and they've just drifted off as some of those longs have cut out."
Yesterday's level was last seen in mid-August when the currency started its plunged from 45USc to October's record 38.95c low.
The kiwi spent the year slipping from day one, when it closed at 52.65USc.
It has suffered from troubles at home - poor economic growth and confidence, political worries and the perennial huge current account deficit.
But mostly it weakened like the euro and aussie as the US dollar took a stranglehold on global investment money.
That grip has weakened as America's 10-year expansion slows amid talk of lower interest rates soon.
"I think the recent trends remain intact - slightly stronger kiwi and aussie dollars, simply by default as the disliked currencies are the US dollar and the yen," the dealer said.
"The liked currencies are the European ones, and things like the aussie and kiwi which have suffered most in the last 12 months are likely to be slightly stronger," the dealer said.
- NZPA
<i>Currency:</i> NZ dollar tipped to keep rising
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