Forex news for Asia trading Wednesday 16 December 2015

  • China broker tips PBOC to widen yuan trading band in 2016
  • Morgan Stanley like the risk/reward of being long USD into the FOMC meeting
  • Bloomberg: "Congress reaches fiscal deal that ends U.S. crude oil export ban"
  • China Xi Jinping says economy faces downward pressure
  • The 4 song preview of the FOMC and what it all means
  • Blackrock expects RBA to cut again in 2016, AUD risks weighted to downside
  • Japan - Nikkei/Markit December flash manufacturing PMI: 52.5 (prior 52.6)
  • NZ finmin English: NZ exporters prefer NZD in mid to low 60s
  • PBOC sets yuan reference rate for today at 6.4626
  • Merk say ultimate term target for USD/JPY is 'infinity', but not yet
  • RBA governor Glenn Stevens' (5) reasons to be cheerful
  • Latest survey says Australian economy to expand 0.6% in Q4
  • Australian jobs data - Skilled vacancies for November: +1.2% (prior +0.6%)
  • RBA's Debelle - no comments on the economy nor monetary policy from him
  • Sydney tornado warning (really)
  • Australian data - Westpac Leading index for November: -0.2% m/m (prior was +0.1%)
  • UK labour market jobs report preview: Watch for wages going wonky
  • A word of warning about Carney's earlier comments
  • 5 things to watch from the FOMC meeting today
  • Nikkei: "Lower inflation expectations cast shadow over BOJ's 2% target"
  • NZ: Fonterra to sell Australian yoghurt dairy desserts business
  • FT opines that now is not a good time for the Federal Reserve to hike rates
  • New Zealand data - Q3 BOP Current account balance: -4.749 bn
  • American Petroleum Institute (API) crude oil inventories rise 2.3 mln bbls
  • NZ 'barometer' forecast says sideways for the NZD, ASB disagrees

Pre FOMC day in Asia saw relatively subdued trading, with very little in the way of market-moving news to, err, move markets.

USD/JPY popped a little higher in early Tokyo before running into offers ahead of 122.00, maintaining a small range after this.

EUR/USD ground out a small gain, while USD/CHF was slightly softer. Cable edged a few points higher. EUR/JPY up also.

AUD ticked a few points up, while the NZD is almost unchanged after a wiggle up and then down again to approach the overnight low.

It seems the US oil export ban will soon be lifted, though price didn't do a real lot. Gold managed a few dollars higher.

The People's Bank of China set the USD/CNY higher again today (yuan weaker).

Regional equities liked the better tone on Wall Street. Levels with Shanghai closed for the lunch break:

  • Nikkei +2.53%
  • Shanghai +0.71%
  • HK +2.23%
  • ASX +2.31%

Still to come: UK wages data and then FOMC ...

  • UK labour market jobs report preview: Watch for wages going wonky
  • Morgan Stanley like the risk/reward of being long USD into the FOMC meeting
  • The 4 song preview of the FOMC and what it all means
  • 5 things to watch from the FOMC meeting today