Dollar off highs, Asia shares firmer before US Fed, Bank of Japan decisions
Investors will eye Tuesday's statement from the U.S. central bank's Federal Open Market Committee to see whether the Fed will cool down expectations of more easing of monetary policy, which might make it difficult to extend the rally.
The dollar hovered below an 11-month high against the yen on Tuesday and regional shares edged higher, as investors awaited policy decisions by the Bank of Japan and the U.S. Federal Reserve.
The dollar edged up 0.2 per cent to 82.36 yen, not far from a high of 82.65 yen touched on Friday on trading platform EBS after a boost from upbeat U.S. jobs data.
In the stock market, Japan's benchmark Nikkei share average rose 0.5 per cent, aided by the softer yen, while MSCI's index of Asia Pacific shares outside of Japan also added 0.5 per cent after slipping on Monday on concerns about a moderation in Chinese demand.
Australian shares rose 0.9 per cent to 4234.20, underpinned by a recovery in the mining sector, while South Korean shares gained 0.9 per cent as exporters and growth stocks rebounded.
The U.S. Federal Reserve's policy statement on Tuesday will be closely watched, particularly after last Friday's data showed an encouraging gain of more than 200,000 jobs in February for a third straight month.
Recent signs of improvement in the world's biggest economy have given a boost to the dollar and caused a rethink on how aggressive the Fed needs to be in applying further stimulus.
A focal point during Asian trade will be the Bank of Japan's policy decision, which is expected around 0330-0530 GMT or 9-11 am IST.
The Bank of Japan is expected to refrain from easing monetary policy further on Tuesday, while stressing its readiness to act again in coming months if needed and extending a cheap loan line supporting growth industries.
The BOJ's monetary policy has been in the spotlight after its surprise easing in February, when it expanded its asset-buying scheme by 10 trillion yen and set a 1 percent inflation goal, triggering a broad slide in the yen.
Currency traders have said that there has been some market speculation that the BOJ may conduct more monetary easing on Tuesday, an outcome that could spark another sell-off in the Japanese currency.
Gold was little changed at $1,700.84 an ounce, while crude oil futures were steady at $106.65 after falling on Monday on China fears and concerns about recession in Italy.
Copyright @ Thomson Reuters 2012