The focus for the Asia session is yet to come, with the RBA decision and Governor Lowe’s accompanying statement due at 2.30pm local time (0430 GMT and 0030 US Eastern time). While the consensus is for an unchanged cash rate this is very much a ‘live’ meeting with another rate hike possible.

ICYMI, previews:

And Greg has the AUD techs here:

AUD/USD has spent the day tightly rangebound, as has much of major FX.

News flow has been very light indeed. Data has been from New Zealand, Japan and Australia, none of which has shifted around major rates too much.

Asian equity markets:

  • Japan’s Nikkei 225 +0.3%

  • China’s Shanghai Composite +0.2%

  • Hong Kong’s Hang Seng +0.9%

  • South Korea’s KOSPI +0.5%

  • Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 -0.5%

AUD/USD is going towards the Reserve Bank of Australia announcement fairly flat on the session: