AUD/USD is calm on Thursday, as the pair trades in the low-0.81 range. In Australia, MI Inflation Expectations posted a gain of 3.2%. HIA New Home Sales softened in December, with a gain of 2.2%. Over in the US, today’s highlight was Unemployment Claims. The indicator dipped to 301 thousand, short of expectations.
US unemployment claims missed expectations for the second straight week. The key indicator improved to 309 thousand, better than the previous reading of 316 thousand. This fell short of the estimate of 301 thousand. Although the US labor market has improved, this is the fourth straight reading where unemployment claims has missed expectations. On Wednesday, construction readings were a mix. Building Permits came in at 1.03 million, short of the estimate of 1.06M. Housing Starts improved to 1.09 million, beating expectations of 1.04M.
Earlier in the week, there was good news from Australian consumer indicators. Westpac Consumer Sentiment impressed in December, as the indicator posted a strong gain of 2.4%, rebounding from a sharp decline of 5.7% a month earlier. The indicator has fluctuated considerably, making it a tricky task to gauge the mood of the Australian consumer. New Motor Vehicle Sales also looked sharp, posting an excellent gain of 3.0% gain.
AUD/USD 0.8085 H: 0.8136 L: 0.8056
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