COPENHAGEN, Aug 2 (Reuters) - Denmark's foreign exchange reserves, a monetary policy tool, rose by 1.3 billion crowns in 491.9 billion Danish crowns ($87.32 billion), the central bank said on Friday.

The bank said it did not intervene in the foreign exchange market in July to steady the crown.

Changes in the forex reserves are a pointer to interest rate setting if they stem from central bank intervention in the market because such action by the bank tends to precede changes in interest rates.

European Union member but euro zone outsider Denmark's policy of holding the crown steady against the euro means that the central bank shifts interest rates for the sole purpose of keeping the crown around its central parity of 7.46038 per euro . ($1 = 5.6334 Danish crowns)

(Reporting by Copenhagen newsroom) Keywords: DENMARK RESERVES/

(ole.mikkelsen@thomsonreuters.com)(+45 33 96 96 55)(Reuters Messaging: ole.mikkelsen.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net)

COPYRIGHT

Copyright Thomson Reuters 2013. All rights reserved.

The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.