Forex and Bitcoin news for Asia trading Thursday 22 February 2018
- CAD traders - Retail Sales December due today - preview
- The real test for the dollar begins now
- CAD traders - heads up for the data of focus on Thursday - Retail Sales (preview)
- US Embassy in Montenegro 'under attack' by grenade throwing assailant
- Why the USD/JPY fell in the Tokyo morning
- GDP data coming up from the UK Thursday - preview
- New Zealand January credit card spending falls on the month
- Heads up for large forex option expiries due into next week
- Yen gaining still - USD/JPY under its US time low
- Fed's Kashkari: US economy doing very well, don't know if at full employment
- They're baaaaack! PBOC sets USD/ CNY reference rate for today at 6.3530
- FX option expiries for Thursday 22 February 2018 - 10am NY cut
- Japan PM Adviser says BOJ should consider buying foreign bonds
- FOMC responses - check this out: "Five Fed Rate Hikes in 2018 Isn't A Crazy Idea"
- UK MPs (Treasury Select Committee) to launch inquiry into cryptocurrencies
- CBA on the Australian dollar - headwind may not be sustained
- German finance ministry - expects country's broad-based eco upswing to continue
- Responses to the FOMC coming in - when to expect the next 5 hikes
- FOMC minutes done, dusted ... but ECB Jan meeting minutes still to come
- Responses to the FOMC coming in - upside risk on number of hikes
- Trade ideas thread - Thursday 22 February 2018
- GBP traders: Cabinet did not agree to PM May's strategy for Brexit transition period
- Moody's upgrades Greece's rating
- Oil - private data shows a surprise draw in US crude inventory
- ForexLive Americas FX news wrap: Fed Minutes spark broad whipsaw
The yen gained sharply in Asia today - not by a huge amount but notable nonetheless. I won't repeat the post here, but there were various intertwined reasons surrounding yields, FOMC, positioning and more:
And check this out too:
Abe adviser Hamada was back on the 'BOJ should buy foreign bonds' train again today - USD/JPY fell as his comments hit! (This should be a yen negative ... but, no cigar for Hamada today).
USD/JPY fell (briefly) to below 107.20 before recovering a little (as I update). Yen crosses fell alongside, EUR/JPY down to beneath (again briefly) 131.60.

Other currencies are all little changed against the USD, it was a yen move. News and data flow was very light today.
The People's Bank of China (and the rest of China) was back today from the week-long break for Lunar New Year holidays. The Bank injected a hefty 360bn yuan via OMOs today, but beneath the surface its little more than treading water with that amount in the ballpark of RRS maturing this week. I suspect we will get further liquidity injection through OMO this week, or other facilities.
Still to come
- CAD traders - Retail Sales December due today - preview
- CAD traders - heads up for the data of focus on Thursday - Retail Sales (preview)
- GDP data coming up from the UK Thursday - preview
- FX option expiries for Thursday 22 February 2018 - 10am NY cut
- FOMC minutes done, dusted ... but ECB Jan meeting minutes still to come