FOREX-Rise in risk appetite lifts dollar

* Dollar strengthens as equities rise on risk appetite

* View that U.S. rate cuts to end soon benefits greenback

* U.S. data, including Tuesday's retail sales, awaited (Recasts, updates prices, changes byline, dateline, previous LONDON)

By Lucia Mutikani

NEW YORK, May 12 (Reuters) - The dollar rose broadly on Monday, boosted by a slight rise in investors' appetite for risk and growing speculation that the current cycle of U.S. interest rate cuts may be ending.

The dollar chalked up its biggest gains against the yen and the Swiss franc. In other market news, European banking heavyweight HSBC (HSBA.L: Quote, Profile, Research) posted unexpectedly strong first-quarter earnings and oil prices CLc1 retreated, helping push global equities higher. Wall Street stocks opened higher.

"The dollar is benefiting from generally improved risk appetite overnight. We are seeing more of a consolidation here ahead of a busy economic week and a Fed calendar as well," said Omer Esiner, a currency analyst at Ruesch International in Washington.

The New York Board of Trade's dollar index, which tracks the dollar's performance against a basket of six currencies, was up 0.1 percent at 73.245 .DXY, pushing towards the 73.895 level reached last week for the first time since early March.

The index briefly touched a session high of 73.522. The dollar surged to an intraday high of 104.04 yen <JPY=> and was last trading at 103.76 yen, up 0.9 percent on the day. Against the Swiss franc <CHF=> it was up 0.8 percent at 1.0496 francs.