Intra-Day News and Views (USD/JPY) & data to be released today

Intra-day Market Moving News and Views
31 Jul 2015 02:34GMT

USD/JPY - ...... Although dlr rose above previous July's peak at 124.48 to a fresh 7-week high of 124.58 in NY morning on Thursday after official preliminary data showed that U.S. economic growth accelerated in the second quarter, lack of follow-through buying prompted profit-taking and dlr later retreated to 124.09 in NY afternoon.
In early Friday's trading, dlr met renewed selling at 124.28 (AUS) and then fell to 123.93 after tripping light stops below 124.00 b4 staging a recovery.
Intra-day weakness in the Nikkei and Chinese stocks suggests sideways trading below said yesterday's 124.58 high would continue.

Today, looks like consolidation with mild downside bias would be seen in Asia n Europe b4 the release of U.S. Chicago PMI and Reuters/Michigan consumer sentiment index at 13:45GMT and 14:00GMT respectively. Having said that, investors should also take note to the release of Japan's construction orders and housing starts at 05:00GMT.

At present, offers are tipped at 124.10-20 and more at 124.35/40 with mixture of offers and stops at 124.50-60.
On the downside, bids are placed in 123.80-123.60 region and around 123.50 with buying interest from various accounts at 123.30-20.

Earlier on Friday, official data showed that the total work force that Japan’s unemployment rate rose unexpectedly last month to 3.4%, from 3.3% in the preceding month.
Meanwhile, data showed that household spending in Japan fell more-than-expected to a seasonally adjusted -2.0% from 4.8% in the preceding month, Tokyo's core CPI fell to at an annualized rate of -0.1% from 0.1% in the preceding month, and Japan's national core CPI remained unchanged unexpectedly at 0.1% last month.

Friday will see the release of U.K. GfK consumer confidence, Japan's all household spending, CPI and unemployment rate, Australia's PPI, Japan's construction orders and housing starts, eurozone inflation, Canada's GDP, U.S. employment costs, Chicago PMI and Reuters/Michigan consumer sentiment index.