* Dollar index stuck near 1-month low
* Seasonal factors seen weighing on dollar at year's end
* Australian, Canadian dollars at 2-month highs
By Shinichi Saoshiro
TOKYO, Dec 29 (Reuters) - The dollar wallowed near a one-month low against a basket of currencies on Friday, while currencies like the Australian and Canadian dollars were at two-month highs thanks to firmer commodity prices.
The dollar index against a basket of six major currencies .DXY was little changed at 92.659 after slipping 0.4 percent overnight to 92.573, its lowest since Nov. 27.
The index was on track to lose 0.5 percent this month.
It will likely end the year down more than 9 percent, its worst showing since 2003, and a Reuters poll showed it is expected to lose a bit more ground against other major currencies next year. of positions by market participants signals broad selling of the dollar, particularly the yen, towards the year's end, said Shin Kadota, senior strategist at Barclays (LON:BARC) in Tokyo.
"Seasonal trends in the currency market have shown that the dollar tends to weaken after Christmas through the first few days of the following year before eventually being bought back again," he said.
Many institutional investors close their books at the year-end, a deadline for taxation and reporting of performance, and such activity is seen leading to dollar selling pressure.
The dollar was little changed at 112.880 yen JPY= . It had slipped to a nine-day low of 112.660 overnight, having gone as high as 113.750 on Dec. 12.
The euro was steady at $1.1941 EUR= and in close reach of a one-month high of $1.1959 scaled the previous day. It has gained 0.3 percent in December.
The common currency showed little reaction to Italy's announcement that it will hold an election on March 4, as such an outcome had been anticipated. The poll is expected to produce a hung parliament and possibly market turbulence in the euro zone's third=largest economy. Australian dollar was effectively flat at $0.7794 AUD=D4 having surged to a two-month peak of $0.7810 the previous day.
The Aussie was headed for a 3 percent monthly gain, lifted by a rise in the prices of commodities like iron ore and copper.
The Canadian dollar extended its overnight rally to touch C$1.2563 CAD=D4 per dollar, its strongest since Oct. 20.
The loonie was on track to gain 2.5 percent in December, boosted by a surge in crude oil. (Editing by Kim Coghill)