Dollar firm in Asia before Fed policy meeting

TOKYO, Sept 16 (AFP) : The dollar picked up in Asia on Tuesday ahead of a US central bank policy meeting, with investors looking for signs of an earlier-than-expected interest rate hike.

In afternoon Tokyo trade, the greenback strengthened to 107.22 yen, after briefly falling below the 107-yen level earlier in the day. The unit bought 107.18 yen in New York on Monday.

The euro slipped to $1.2935 from $1.2940 in US trade, while it fetched 138.68 yen against 138.69 yen.

The pound dipped to $1.6175 from $1.6234 in New York as investors keep a nervous eye on Thursday's Scottish independence vote, which could lead to the break-up of the United Kingdom and hammer its economy.

Speculation that the Federal Reserve will bring forward its timetable to raise interest rates helped push the dollar past the 107 yen mark last week for the first time in nearly six years.

The Fed-which has said it would keep interest rates low for a "considerable time" after ending its massive stimulus-is widely expected to further reduce the monetary easing programme after its meeting, setting the stage for a full termination at the end of October.