Euro dipped overnight on continuous talk of additional stimulus by ECB in December and EUR/USD reached a seven month low. Swiss Franc was also dragged down with USD/CHF breaching 1.0239 key resistance to the highest level since 2010. But so far, there is no follow through buying in the greenback, partly due to holiday in US today. Nonetheless, the trend will likely continue as markets enter into a key month in December, when Fed is expected to hike rate while ECB is expected to expand easing. Elsewhere in the currency markets Sterling is so far the weakest one this week as weighed down by dovish comments from BoE chief economist earlier. Canadian dollar is the strongest as crude oil seems to be support well by 40 handle for the moment.
A Reuters report quoted unnamed ECB officials saying that the central bank is considering adding purchases of regional bonds and even rebundled debts with risk of non-payments. Also, ECB might introduce a two tier charge on banks that park money with the central bank. Some officials expressed the concern on deflation and the need to so something. But there were a different views within the board and policy makers are yet to agree on the package to adopt.
Separately, in ECB's Financial Stability Review, the central bank noted that "highly indebted foreign-currency borrowers may be vulnerable to a prospective normalization of financial conditions in the U.S. and other advanced economies." And, "misaligned asset prices are a key vulnerability in that they could potentially lead, at some point, to sharp adjustments of risk premia." And, "the impacts that China, in particular, had on advanced economies’ financial markets during the summer point to the need for close monitoring going forward."
Australian dollar is weighed down mildly as report showed that business investment fell -9.2% qoq in last quarter through September, the largest decline on record. Among the investments, mining dropped -10.4%, other industrials dropped -10.% but manufacturing investment rose 6.9%. There are expectations that investment will be further weighed down if commodity prices continue falling. And that might force RBA to revise down the economic outlook and add stimulus.
On the data front, New Zealand trade deficit narrowed to NZD -963m in October. Eurozone will release M3 money supply and German Gfk consumer sentiment later in European session.