Halister News

(Bloomberg) -- China raises yuan fixing to strongest level since January after NPC set this year’s GDP growth target at 6.5%-7.0% and widened budget-deficit goal to 3% of GDP from 2.3%; data today will show FX reserves slipped to $3.19t in February, lowest level since Dec. 2011, according to median estimate of economists in Bloomberg survey.

• Yen steady against dollar; Japan’s official reserve assets rose to $1.254t in February from $1.248t in January; some government departments studying impact of delay in tax increase: Reuters
• U.S. Treasuries fall, with yield on 10-year bonds rising 2 bps to 1.892% in Asian trading after non-farm payrolls for February beat forecast and wages fell unexpectedly
• Won advances for seventh day; Seoul Economic Daily says Kim Joo Hyun, former head of Korea Deposit Insurance, and Suh Young Kyung, BOK Deputy Governor, are among potential candidates for central bank board; North Korea warns against US-South Korea military exercises, while Yonhap says South to announce own sanctions against North
• Ringgit rises to highest level since August; PM Najib said yesterday his policies have supported growth and his government has the mandate to lead
• Baht snaps three-day advance; Thailand plans to spend around 1.8t baht ($50.7b) on 20 major infrastructure projects by 2022, Nikkei reports; SEC proposes tougher insider-trading penalties, the FT reports, citing Secretary-General Sucharitakul
• Taiwan’s dollar advances; data today will show island’s exports fell less in February than a month earlier and trade surplus widened to $3.55b from $3.51b: Bloomberg survey; Taiwan to let banks check corporate derivative trading: EDN