IFX Matthias

Euro steady in Early Asia, All Eyes on Cyprus The euro was at $1.2974 Immediate support is seen around $1.2844, last week's low, and a break there would open up the way to $1.2661 More Forex News - at instaforex.com

Boj Offers to Buy 400 Bln Yen Cp Outright from 3/27 Via Asset Purchase Program BOJ offers to buy 400 bln yen CP outright from 3/27 via asset purchase program. More Forex News - at instaforex.com

Japan Has Y777.5 Billion Trade Deficit In February Japan saw a merchandise trade deficit of 777.5 billion yen in February, the Ministry of Finance said on Thursday. That beat forecasts for a shortfall of 855.9 billion yen following the downwardly revised deficit of 1,630.9 billion yen in January (originally 1,629.0 billion yen). Exports dipped 2.9 percent on year, missing forecasts for a 1.7 percent contraction following the 6.4 percent gain in the previous month. Imports jumped an annual 11.9 percent versus expectations for a rise of 15.0 percent after rising 7.3 percent a month earlier. More Forex News - at instaforex.com

Krw Bounces, Breaking 8-Day Losing Streak The South Korean won rebounded against the dollar on Tuesday morning, and was poised to snap an eight-day losing streak, its longest run of losses since early 2009. The local currency was quoted at 1,108.9 against the dollar at 0025 GMT, up half a percent compared to Monday's close at 1,114.6. More Forex News - at instaforex.com

Euro At Near 3-week Low Against Franc The European currency lost ground against the Swiss franc in Asian morning deals on Monday. The euro fell to 1.2173 against the franc, its lowest since February 27. On the downside, the euro-franc pair may break 1.21 level. The pair finished last week's deals at 1.2275. More Forex News - at instaforex.com

Yen Off Fresh 3-week Low Against Pound The Japanese yen that fell against the currencies of the U.K. and Switzerland at the beginning of Friday's Asian session erased some of its losses shortly. The yen snapped back above the 145.0 level versus the pound, rising as high as 144.85 from a fresh a 3-week low of 145.18. The pair closed Thursday's North American deals at 144.98. The yen also erased losses to reach as high as 101.40 from a 3-day low of 101.64 hit earlier. The franc-yen pair was worth 101.49 at Thursday's North American close. More Forex News - at instaforex.com

Australia February Unemployment Rate Steady At 5.4% Australia saw a seasonally adjusted unemployment rate of 5.4 percent in February, the Australian Bureau of Statistics said on Thursday. That was unchanged from the previous month, and it also beat forecasts for 5.5 percent. The Australian economy created 71,500 jobs in February - well ahead of forecasts for an increase of 10,000 jobs after 10,400 jobs were added in the previous month. The participation rate was 65.3 percent, also beating expectations for 65.0 percent - which would have been unchanged from the January reading. More Forex News - at instaforex.com

Malaysian Ringgit Spikes Up To 1-week High Against U.S. Dollar The Malaysian currency gained ground against the U.S. dollar during early Asian deals on Wednesday. The ringgit strengthened to a 1-week high of 3.1018 against the greenback, gaining 0.26 percent from Tuesday's close of 3.11. The ringgit is poised to break next upside target level at 3.09. More Forex News - at instaforex.com

Japan Corporate Goods Prices Rise 0.2% In February An index measuring prices for domestic corporate goods added 0.4 percent on month in February, the Bank of Japan said on Tuesday, coming in at 101.0. That beat forecasts for an increase of 0.3 percent following the downwardly revised 0.2 percent gain in January (originally 0.4 percent). On a yearly basis, prices eased 0.1 percent - matching forecasts following the downwardly revised 0.3 percent contraction in the previous month (originally -0.2 percent). Export prices were up 0.4 percent on month and down 0.8 percent on year, while import prices added 0.6 percent on month and dipped 0.8 percent on year. More Forex News - at instaforex.com

NZ Dollar Ticks Down Against Majors The New Zealand dollar edged lower against its major opponents on Friday morning in Asia. The kiwi reached 0.8266 against the greenback, down from Thursday's closing value of 0.8285. The New Zealand dollar that advanced to an 11-day high of 78.74 against the yen at the beginning of the Asian session slipped back to 78.50. The kiwi also drifted lower to 1.5853 against the euro and 1.2414 against the Australian dollar, compared to yesterday's closing quotes of 1.5830 and 1.2402, respectively. More Forex News - at instaforex.com

Asian Shares Retreat After Rally, C.bank Meetings in Focus Asian shares fell after two strong days of gains on Thursday, as investors focused on meetings of the central banks of Japan, Britain and the euro zone for signs of more policy stimulus, while solid U.S. economic data underpinned the dollar. Japan's Nikkei stock average was one major exception, soaring to its highest since late September 2008. The MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan fell 0.4 percent, having recouped much of its losses incurred on Monday when it tumbled to a nine-week low. South Korean shares led the declines in the pan-Asian index, with a 0.7 percent drop. Australian shares fell 0.4 percent after earlier touching a fresh 4-1/2-year peak. More Forex News - at instaforex.com

Dow Record Bolsters Risk Sentiment, Lifts Asian Shares Asian shares extended gains on Wednesday as investors grew more risk-friendly following Wall Street's record close, signs of continuing U.S. economic recovery, and globally accommodative monetary conditions. The MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan rose 0.5 percent, after surging 1.3 percent the day before. Australian stocks jumped 0.9 percent, with banks and miners leading the index as investor confidence were buoyed by upbeat domestic data and signs of steady growth in China. Japan's Nikkei stock average opened up 1.1 percent at a fresh 4-1/2-year peak. South Korean shares opened up 0.8 percent. More Forex News - at instaforex.com

Asian Shares Rebound, Easy Policies feed Risk Taking Asian shares rebounded strongly on Tuesday after a sharp sell-off triggered by slumping Chinese stocks the previous session, as a globally accommodative monetary stance helped revive risk appetite. The MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan jumped 1 percent after tumbling 1.3 percent as Chinese shares dived on concerns Beijing's move to tighten the housing market could weigh on growth. Australian stocks outperformed their Asian peers with a 1.5 percent rally, led by financial stocks ahead of an interest rate decision by the Reserve Bank of Australia. Japan's Nikkei stock average rose 0.8 percent. Seoul shares open up 0.46 percent. More Forex News - at instaforex.com

Asian Shares weighed by Patchy Growth Outlook, US Data Supports Asian shares eased on Monday, with sentiment hurt by a patchy global growth outlook and weak data from Europe, but losses were limited as robust U.S. economic figures overshadowed worries about automatic spending cuts hurting the U.S. economy. The MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan was down 0.2 percent, with Australian shares falling 0.4 percent on lower metal prices. South Korean shares opened up 0.1 percent after financial markets were closed on Friday for a holiday. Japan's Nikkei stock average opened 0.8 percent higher as a weaker yen helped buoy sentiment. More Forex News - at instaforex.com

Australian Dollar Weakens After China Manufacturing PMI Hits 5-month Low The Australian dollar edged lower against its major counterparts on Friday morning in Asia after a report showed that the Chinese manufacturing PMI eased to a 5-month low in February. Chinese Manufacturing PMI reached 50.1 in the month of February, down from previous month's figure of 50.4. Economists had expected the headline index to advance to 50.5 in the month. The aussie slipped to 1.0208 against the US dollar and 94.48 against the yen immediately following the data. The Australian currency also drifted weaker to 1.2809 against the euro and 1.2376 against the New Zealand dollar around the same time. More Forex News - at instaforex.com

U.S. Dollar Trades At 3-day Low Against Canadian Dollar In early Asian deals on Thursday, the U.S. dollar lost ground against the Canadian dollar. The greenback fell to a 3-day low of 1.0228 against the loonie from yesterday's close of 1.0232. The greenback may face next downside target level at 1.02. More Forex News - at instaforex.com

Japan Corporate Service Prices Dip 0.2% In January An index measuring corporate service prices in January was down 0.2 percent on year in January, the Bank of Japan said on Monday, standing at 95.4. That matched forecasts following the 0.4 percent contraction in December. On a monthly basis, corporate service prices were down 0.4 percent after rising 0.2 percent in the previous month. Among the individual components, prices for transportation and other services were up - while prices for information systems and advertising services were down. More Forex News - at instaforex.com

Singapore Revised GDP +3.3% In Q4 Singapore's gross domestic product expanded a seasonally adjusted annualized 3.3 percent in the fourth quarter compared to the previous three months, the Ministry of Trade and Industry said in Friday's revised reading. That's up sharply from last month's original reading for a 1.8 percent increase following the revised 4.8 percent contraction in Q3. On a yearly basis, GDP was revised up to 1.5 percent from 1.1 percent following the flat reading in the previous three months. For all of 2012, GDP was bumped up to 1.3 percent from 1.2 percent. More Forex News - at instaforex.com

Greenback Jumps To Fresh 3-week High Against Swiss Franc The US dollar strengthened against its Swiss counterpart in the early Asian session on Thursday, hitting nearly the key 0.93 level after a gap of more than 3-weeks. The greenback rose to 0.9290 against the Swiss franc, its highest level since January 28 and was up almost 0.2 percent from Wednesday's closing value of 0.9276. The dollar-franc pair is approaching the 38.2 percent retracement target at 0.9330, between its February lows and July highs in the previous year. However the pair, being in a descending channel resistance line, the possibility of a bearish reversal towards the 0.92 area is likely in the near-term. More Forex News - at instaforex.com

Australia Q4 Wage Index Rises 0.8% On Month Wages in Australia increased in the 4th quarter of 2012. The Australian Bureau of Statistics reported Wednesday that its wage index rose 0.8 percent from the preceding quarter. For the full 2012 year, the wage index was up 3.4 percent. The Bureau said both private and public sector wages were up 0.8 percent on quarter. On year, the public sector index rose 3.2 percent, compared to the 3.4 percent private sector index. More Forex News - at instaforex.com

BoJ Minutes: Price Stability Is The Goal Members of the Bank of Japan's monetary policy board are firmly committed to defeating deflation and achieving price stability, minutes from the bank's board meeting on January 21 and 22 revealed on Tuesday. The BoJ also warned that circumstances in Europe and the United States will continue to pose downside risks to the Japan economy - which is otherwise expected to level off. "(The economy) is likely to level off more or less for the time being, and thereafter return to a moderate recovery path as domestic demand remained resilient, partly due to the effects of various economic measures, and as overseas economies gradually emerged from the deceleration phase," the minutes said. "Some members were of the view that the possibility of Japan's economy returning to a moderate recovery path had heightened to a considerable degree. At that meeting, the BoJ doubled its inflation target to 2 percent in a bid to end deflation. The central bank also announced open-ended asset purchases from next year. BoJ adopted the new inflation target in a split vote with Policy Board members Takehiro Sato and Takahide Kiuchi voting against the proposal. Seven out of nine members of the board voted in favor. The Policy Board also voted unanimously to keep the benchmark uncollateralized overnight call rate at around 0 to 0.1 percent. "If the recent trend of the yen's depreciation continued, this could be expected to have positive effects on prices through an improvement in economic activity and a rise in inflation expectations," the minutes said. After completing the current purchasing period, the bank said it will introduce a method of purchasing a certain amount of financial assets every month without setting any termination date, from January 2014. The introduction of the open-ended asset purchasing method was also passed by a unanimous vote. Following the introduction of this method, BoJ will make monthly asset purchases of JPY 13 trillion, including JPY 2 trillion in Japanese government bonds and JPY 10 trillion in Treasury Bills. As a result, the total size of the asset purchase program will be increased by JPY 10 trillion in 2014, which will be maintained thereafter. "With a view to clearly presenting the Bank's stance of pursuing aggressive monetary easing - aiming to achieve the 'price stability target' - it was desirable to introduce a method to continue purchasing a certain amount of financial assets every month without setting any termination date," the minutes said. The bank also decided to release a joint statement with the government, to strengthen their policy coordination. Two of the policymakers dissented against this decision. The bank stuck to its assessment of global economy and said that the overseas economies remained in a deceleration phase. Japan's economy remained relatively weak and exports and industrial production have decreased, the bank said. "The U.S. economy generally continued to recover at a moderate pace, particularly in the household sector, although signs of weakness were observed in the corporate sector," the minutes said. "Economic activity in Europe had receded slowly. As a result of the weakening of sentiment and the effects of fiscal austerity, both business fixed investment and private consumption had been declining. Growth in exports was sluggish as well." More Forex News - at instaforex.com

UK House Price Index +2.8% In February An index measuring house prices in the United Kingdom was up 2.8 percent on month in February, property tracking website Rightmove said on Monday. That follows the 0.2 percent increase in January. On a yearly basis, house prices were up 1.1 percent after adding 2.4 percent in the previous month. With the proportion of those intending to buy for the first time making up just 22 percent of all prospective buyers in 2013, the main activity is concentrated on those who have bought before, the data showed. Twenty-nine percent say they are buying for the second time, while 49 percent are making at least their third purchase. "There has been a sprightly start to 2013 and, while market activity remains patchy across locations and property type, some estate agents are reporting their busiest new year since the onset of the credit-crunch. While encouraging, it's far too early to pop the champagne corks as certain sectors will remain on ice until the return of wider-spread mortgage availability," said Miles Shipside, director and housing market analyst at Rightmove. More Forex News - at instaforex.com

Japan GDP -0.1% On Quarter In Q4 Japan's gross domestic product was down 0.1 percent in the fourth quarter of 2012 compared to the previous three months, the Cabinet Office said on Thursday. That missed forecasts for an increase of 0.1 percent following the downwardly revised 1.0 decline in the third quarter. On an annualized basis, GDP was down 0.4 percent - also missing forecasts for an increase of 0.4 percent following the downwardly revised 3.8 percent decline in the previous three months. Nominal GDP was down 0.4 percent on quarter versus forecasts for a flat reading following the downwardly revised 1.1 percent fall in the three months prior. More Forex News - at instaforex.com

Japan Corporate Service Prices Rise 0.4% In January An index measuring domestic corporate service prices was up 0.4 percent on month in January, the Bank of Japan said on Wednesday, coming in at 100.7. That beat forecasts for an increase of 0.2 percent following the downwardly revised 0.2 percent increase in December (originally 0.3 percent). On a yearly basis, prices were down 0.2 percent versus forecasts for -0.3 percent following the downwardly revised 0.7 percent fall in the previous month (originally -0.6 percent). Export prices were up 0.4 percent on month and down 0.6 percent on year, while import prices added 0.3 percent on month but fell 0.8 percent on year. More Forex News - at instaforex.com

UK House Prices Fall 4.0% In January - RICS The average asking price for a house in the United Kingdom was down 4.0 percent on year in January, a monthly report by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors revealed on Tuesday. That was well shy of forecasts for an increase of 1.0 percent following the downwardly revised 1.0 percent contraction in December (originally called flat on year). The survey also showed that prices declined rather than gained for 26 percent of sellers. However, the total number of sales was up an annual 12.0 percent in January. More Forex News - at instaforex.com