- Japan retail sales rose 0.4% y/y, fell 3.6% SA m/m, large retailers’ sales fell 1.0%.-MNI
- Lloyds October business barometer rose to 17 from 10 in September.
- U.K Hometrack housing survey fell 0.1% m/m and 0.4% y/y.
- Japan FinMin Jojima says budget funds will dry up by end of November, hopes BOJ takes bold monetary policy action.
- Draghi backs eurozone super-commissioner plan.-BBC
- Finland’s Katainen very satisfied with election result.
- France’s leaders reject firms’ plea for competitiveness shock.-MNI
- Hurricane Sandy takes the spotlight, closes the NYSE.
EUR/USD started early with a run at stops between 1.2960/70 touching a high at 1.2972. After the above stops were taken out (on Draghi comments) during the extremely thin opening, the EUR/USD traded back down to the 1.2940/50 level most of the session. The dollar gained some strength across the board aided by good selling of EUR/USD and EUR/JPY out of Tokyo. Some buying interest down at 1.2915/20 slowed the decline for the time being with the next line of support down around the 1.2880 level.
USD/JPY remained on the sidelines with bids ahead of 79.50 and offers above at 79.90/00. Trading range should be tight with the BOJ policy decision due out later, as expectations of a 10 trillion yen increase in QE will set the tone for the rest of the year.
AUD/USD was a non-event trading to a low of 1.0344 and high 1.0372 within good support at 1.0300/20 and resistance up at 1.0380/00.
One last parting shot of Sandy.
Good luck today.
