Forex and Bitcoin news for Asia trading Thursday 22 March 2018
- Aust jobs report responses .... jobs momentum solid, labour mkt slack remains
- PBOC raises interest rate on 7-day reverse repo by 5bp
- PBOC sets USD/ CNY reference rate for today at 6.3167 (vs. yesterday at 6.3396)
- HKMA's Chan says will intervene (buy HKD) when it touches band
- Japan (March, preliminary) manufacturing PMI from Markit / Nikkei: 53.2 (prior 54.1)
- Australia jobs report (February) Employment Change +17.5K (vs. expected +20.0K)
- US President Trump $60bn China tariffs by Friday ... will now happen Thursday
- China urges US take immediate action to ensure fair trading for Chinese firms
- Hong Kong Monetary Authority raises base rate to 25 basis points to 2.0%
- UK's May to urge allies to expel Russian diplomats over poisonings
- Australia press: US Fed interest rates above Australia first time in 18 years
- Heads up for Trump announcement on China trade on Thursday
- Sky News - Pimco the frontrunner to buy GBP5.5bn residential mortgages from UKAR
- Responses to the RBNZ coming in ... "RBNZ is treading water"
- Canada PM Trudeau: US, Mexico may face time pressures in NAFTA talks
- Trade ideas thread - Thursday 22 March 2018
- Responses to the RBNZ coming in ... "no surprises at all"
- US Treas Sec Mnuchin - says has worked on US investment restrictions on China
- RBNZ leave rates on hold, as expected
Plenty of movement leading into Asia today with the Federal Reserve decision, and some continuation moves into the morning here. USD/JPY dropped a little further, to circa 105.60 while EUR, GBP and CHF all added a few more points against the USD.
NZD/USD dropped away a little on the RBNZ decision (no change, but see bullets above for more) and then recovered back toward US time highs. CAD has not done too much on the session here at all.
AUD/USD gained a little but following the employment report (one line summary is continuing jobs growth but still slack evident in the jobs market ... again check out the bullets above for more).
Solid underperformance from the AUD today ....
The People's Bank of China pumped up the yuan today, its biggest rise in nearly a month at the daily central rate setting.
Still to come:
- BOJ dep gov Wakatabe to appear in parliament today
- More central bank action to come Thursday - Bank of England - preview
- Large and close by option expiries for Thursday 22 March 2018
- US President Trump $60bn China tariffs by Friday ... will now happen Thursday
- Heads up for large FX option expiries later this week (Friday)
