ForexLive Asia-Pacific FX news wrap: Awaiting US retail sales data later

The
Reserve Bank of Australia kept August rate hike bubbling today with
the release of the July meeting minutes. The Bank said the case for a
July rate hike was strong, but was pipped by a stronger case for on
hold. AUD/USD had traded a little higher, mainly due tdue to a dip
for the US dollar, leading into the release of the minutes and has
since come back to be not not a lot changed for the session as I
post. A heads up, the RBA is awaiting the next CPI release, due 26
July Sydney time, to help guide the next meeting decision on August
1.

Apart
from the RBA minutes there was little news, data, not central bank
events during the session to move major FX much at all. Small ranges
prevailed.

As I post a spokesman for China’s ‘state planner’ (the National Development and Reform Commission of the People’s Republic of China (NDRC)) is saying soothing things about promoting economic growth in the country and prompting a small flow into risk.

Asian
equity markets:

• Japan’s
  Nikkei 225 +0.1%

• China’s
  Shanghai Composite -0.6%

• Hong
  Kong’s Hang Seng -1.7%

• South
  Korea’s KOSPI -0.6%

• Australia’s
  S&P/ASX 200 -0.4%