NEW YORK, April 27 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. dollar extended gains in late trading on Wednesday as the euro continued to weaken.

       The dollar index, which measures the greenback against six major peers, rose 0.63 percent to 102.9540, following a 0.54-percent increase in the prior session.

       The euro, the largest component of the index, dipped below 1.06 U.S. dollars for the first time since 2017, amid growing concerns about an economic slowdown in the region.

       In late New York trading on Wednesday, the euro decreased to 1.0563 U.S. dollars from 1.0647 dollars in the previous session, and the British pound decreased to 1.2541 U.S. dollars from 1.2589 dollars in the previous session. The Australian dollar decreased to 0.7121 U.S. dollars from 0.7147 U.S. dollars.

       The U.S. dollar bought 128.31 Japanese yen, higher than 127.58 Japanese yen of the previous session. The U.S. dollar increased to 0.9683 Swiss franc from 0.9623 Swiss franc, and it rose to 1.2832 Canadian dollars from 1.2799 Canadian dollars.