AUD/USD struggles to break through 0.7600 barrier

   •  USD up-move losses steam post US data.
   •  Surging US bond yields still capping.
   •  Key US tax bill vote holds the key. 

The AUD/USD pair continued with its struggle to move past the 0.7600 handle and remained confined within 15-20 pips narrow trading range. 

The pair caught some fresh bids during the early NA session and was being supported by a modest US Dollar retracement, led by today's softer US economic data - weekly jobless claims, Philly Fed manufacturing index and import prices. 

Meanwhile, the market seems to have largely negated better-than-expected US industrial production data, with a mildly positive sentiment around commodity space, especially copper, lending some support to the commodity-linked Australian Dollar. 

However, surging US Treasury bond yields, amid firming December Fed rate hike expectations, might continue to keep a lid on any meaningful up-move for higher-yielding currencies - like the Aussie.

Moving ahead, investors' focus would remain glued to the upcoming vote on a highly-anticipated US tax bill, due later today, which would influence the USD price dynamics in the near-term and eventually provide some fresh directional impetus for the major. 

Technical levels to watch

Momentum beyond the 0.7600 handle is likely to confront fresh supply near the 0.7620 region, above which the pair is likely to head towards testing its next hurdle near 0.7655-60 zone.

On the flip side, the 0.7580-70 region now seems to have emerged as immediate support, which if broken decisively would turn the pair vulnerable to head towards testing the key 0.75 psychological mark with some intermediate support near the 0.7540 region.