Halister News

(Bloomberg) -- Japan’s yen continues to climb while most other Asian currencies move lower, led by Malaysia’s ringgit and South Korea’s won; sovereign bonds rise in New Zealand and interest-rate swaps advance in Singapore.

• Yen edges higher, remains near strongest level since October 2014
  • Chief Cabinet Secretary Suga says action will be taken on exchange rates if necessary; adds sudden market moves aren’t desirable
  • Finance Minister Aso says watching foreign-exchange markets with “sense of urgency” and will respond appropriately; declines to comment on whether Japan has intervened
  • Bank of Japan Governor Kuroda says risk-off moves have spread excessively
• Aussie little changed versus dollar; Australia’s home-loan approvals rose 2.6% on-month in December, below median forecast for 3.0% advance; Reserve Bank of Australia Governor Stevens says the board retains flexibility to ease further if helpful
• Kiwi drops; New Zealand food prices rose 2.0% in January from December, when they declined 0.8%
• U.S. Treasuries fall, with yield on 10-year bonds up 1 bp to 1.668% in Asian trading; data today may show retail sales in U.S. rose 0.1% on-month in January following 0.1% decline prior month: Bloomberg survey
• Won moves lower; South Korean Finance Ministry says growing external risks include instability in China, U.S. interest rates, falling oil prices and North Korea
• Rupee’s one-month forwards fall; India’s industrial production in December probably dropped 0.5% from year earlier following 3.2% slide the previous month, according to Bloomberg survey before data today; consumer prices may have risen 5.40% in January after 5.61% increase in December, a separate survey says
• Thai baht falls but is heading for fourth straight weekly gain
• Hong Kong dollar steady; Hang Seng Index falls to lowest level in more than three years, led by HSBC
• Markets remain closed in mainland China and Taiwan for public holidays

CURRENCY TECHNICALS:

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