EUR/USD $1.3200, $1.3250, $1.3270, $1.3320, $1.3400

USD/JPY Y97.50, Y97.85, Y98.00, Y98.50, Y98.55, Y99.00

GBP/USD $1.5500, $1.5595

EUR/GBP stg0.8520

AUD/USD $0.8850, $0.8950, $0.8970, $0.9000, $0.9100

AUD/JPY Y88.00, Y0.8985

The total number of building approvals in Australia was up a seasonally adjusted 10.8 percent on month in July, the Australian Bureau of Statistics said on Monday, standing at 14,304.

That beat forecasts for an increase of 4.0 percent following the upwardly revised 6.3 percent contraction in June (originally -6.9 percent).

On a yearly basis, building approvals surged 28.3 percent - also beating expectations for a jump of 20.0 percent following the upwardly revised 11.8 percent decline in the previous month (originally -13.0 percent).

Private sector building approvals were up 3.9 percent on month and 12.0 percent on year to 8,309.

EUR/USD

Offers $1.3340/50, $1.3290/300, $1.3255/65, $1.3255/60, $1.3235/45

Bids $1.3190, $1.3175/70, $1.3150/40, $1.3120/10

GBP/USD

Offers $1.5680/85, $1.5640/50, $1.5605/15, $1.5600

Bids $1.5555/45, $1.5460/50, $1.5425/20, $1.5410/00, $1.5380

AUD/USD

Offers $0.9100, $0.9080, $0.9045/50, $0.9020

Bids $0.8975/70, $0.8910/00, $0.8890, $0.8880/75, $0.8860

EUR/JPY

Offers Y132.31/42, Y131.95/00, Y131.80, Y131.50

Bids Y130.80/75, Y130.50, Y130.00, Y129.80

USD/JPY

Offers Y100.15/20, Y100.00, Y99.60/80, Y99.50

Bids Y98.55/50, Y98.00, Y97.50

EUR/GBP

Offers stg0.8650/55, stg0.8620, stg0.8590/600, stg0.8570, stg0.8550/55, stg0.8520

Bids stg0.8470, stg0.8450, stg0.8425/20, stg0.8400

EUR/USD $1.3200, $1.3250, $1.3270, $1.3320, $1.3400

USD/JPY Y97.50, Y97.85, Y98.00, Y98.50, Y98.55, Y99.00

GBP/USD $1.5500, $1.5595

EUR/GBP stg0.8520

AUD/USD $0.8850, $0.8970, $0.9000, $0.9100  

00:00 Australia MI Inflation Gauge, m/m August +0.5% +0.1%

00:00 Australia MI Inflation Gauge, y/y August +2.7% +2.1%

01:30 Australia Building Permits, m/m July -6.3% Revised From -6.9% +4.1% +10.8%

01:30 Australia Building Permits, y/y July -13.0% +20.0% +28.3%

01:30 Australia Company Operating Profits Quarter II +3.5% Revised From +3.0% +1.1% -0.8%

01:45 China HSBC Manufacturing PMI (Finally) August 50.1 50.2 50.1

The yen slid from a two-week high against the euro as Shinzo Abe got backing for a sales-tax increase from panels that urged an increase in stimulus to cushion the economic blow.  Japanese companies’ capital spending was unchanged in the second quarter from a year earlier, a Ministry of Finance report showed today. The median forecast in a survey of economists by Bloomberg News was for a 2.1 percent decline. The Bank of Japan will start a two-day meeting on Sept. 4.

Australia’s dollar gained after a Chinese factory gauge rose to a 16-month high, boosting trade prospects. In China, the Purchasing Managers’ Index of manufacturing rose to 51.0 last month, the highest since April 2012, the National Bureau of Statistics and China Federation of Logistics said in Beijing yesterday. HSBC Holdings Plc and Markit Economics’ PMI for China rose to 50.1 last month from 47.7 in July, final readings released today showed. A reading above 50 indicates growth. China is Australia’s biggest trading partner.

Losses in the 17-nation euro were limited before data forecast to confirm manufacturing in the currency bloc expanded at the fastest pace in more than two years. A final reading on a manufacturing index by Markit Economics based on a survey of purchasing managers will confirm an increase to 51.3 in August, the highest since June 2011, according to analysts surveyed by Bloomberg.

EUR / USD: during the Asian session the pair fell to $ 1.3190

GBP / USD: during the Asian session, the pair rose to $ 1.5565

USD / JPY: during the Asian session the pair rose to Y98.70

European markets although there's insufficient momentum in either direction ahead of the US holiday today. There was some initial focus on Germany, where opposition chancellor candidate Peer Steinbrueck failed to deal a decisive blow to incumbent chancellor Angela Merkel in a highly watched television duel. UK mfg PMI data due at 0828GMT.

00:00 Australia MI Inflation Gauge, m/m August +0.5% +0.1%

00:00 Australia MI Inflation Gauge, y/y August +2.7% +2.1%

01:30 Australia Building Permits, m/m July -6.3% Revised From -6.9% +4.1% +10.8%

01:30 Australia Building Permits, y/y July -13.0% +20.0% +28.3%

01:30 Australia Company Operating Profits Quarter II +3.5% Revised From +3.0% +1.1% -0.8%

01:45 China HSBC Manufacturing PMI (Finally) August 50.1 50.2 50.1

06:30 Australia RBA Commodity prices, y/y August -11.8%

07:30 Switzerland Manufacturing PMI August 57.4 55.9

07:50 France Manufacturing PMI (Finally) August 49.7 49.7

07:55 Germany Manufacturing PMI (Finally) August 52.0 52.0

08:00 Eurozone Manufacturing PMI (Finally) August 51.3 51.3

08:30 United Kingdom Purchasing Manager Index Manufacturing August 54.6 55.2

12:30 Canada Bank holiday

12:30 U.S. Bank holiday

23:01 United Kingdom BRC Retail Sales Monitor y/y August +2.2% +2.4%

23:50 Japan Monetary Base, y/y August +38.0% +41.3%