Tokyo: The US dollar held steady on Monday as the Japanese yen hovered near the critical 160-per-dollar mark, buoyed by hopes for an end to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. According to Qatar News Agency, the Euro was trading at $1.1563, while Sterling reached $1.326. The US Dollar Index, which tracks the greenback against a basket of six major currencies, remained unchanged. The Australian dollar rose 0.7 percent to $0.6932, hovering near the two-month low it hit last week. Meanwhile, the Japanese yen remained largely flat at 159.455 per dollar, hovering near the 21-month low recorded last week. The yen has slid 1.5 percent since the outbreak of the war and remains pinned near the 160 level.