ForexLive Asia-Pacific FX news wrap: UST yields, USD higher | Forexlive

US
Treasury yields traded higher during the session, helping the US
dollar to rise, although moves were not large. USD/JPY tested towards
134.50 and EUR/USD down to just under 1.0665. GBP, CAD, AUD and NZD
all lost some ground against the big dollar also.

UST
trade reopens in the US Tuesday after the long weekend.

News
flow was very light indeed. Data were the flash PMIs kicking off in
Australia and Japan.

On
the central bank front we had some comments from Bank of Japan
Governor Kuroda (see bullets above) and also the February meeting
Reserve Bank of Australia minutes. These were preceded last week by
extensive public remarks from RBA Governor Lowe (testimony in
parliament twice last week) and thus did not have anything to
surprise. There was some chatter on the fact that the minutes said
the Bank considered a +25 and a +50 bp rate hike, while a pause was
“not an option”. Deputy Governor Bullock spoke back in December,
saying a pause was an option. But that was before the shockingly high
Q4 CPI data hit in January, which jolted the RBA back to reality and
the February rate hike.

Asian
equity markets: