Asia FX muted as dollar steadies ahead of inflation data; yen fragile

Investing.com-- Most Asian currencies moved little on Tuesday, tracking a steady dollar as traders remained largely focused on upcoming U.S. inflation readings that are likely to factor into the outlook for interest rates.

The Japanese yen was also a point of focus, as sustained weakness in the currency put traders on guard over any more potential intervention by the government. 

Most regional currencies were nursing recent losses against the dollar, as traders remained largely biased towards the greenback ahead of more cues on U.S. interest rates.

Japanese yen on intervention watch as USDJPY crosses 156

The yen’s USDJPY pair, which is inversely representative of strength in the currency, rose 0.1% on Tuesday and was trading well above 156 yen. 

The pair had recouped a bulk of its losses made earlier in May, when the government was seen intervening in currency markets on two separate occasions. 

While traders now saw 160 yen as the new line in the sand for government intervention, USDJPY’s rapid ascent, despite the threat of intervention, sparked fears that the government may intervene sooner. 

Japanese producer price index data showed factory inflation remained largely subdued in April, pointing to little inflationary pressure on the Bank of Japan to keep tightening policy.

Chinese yuan inches lower on property market jitters 

The Chinese yuan’s USDCNY pair rose 0.1%, as sentiment towards China soured after another major property developer- in this case Agile Group Holdings Ltd (HK:3383)- defaulted on its bond payments.

The default largely offset some optimism over improving inflation in China, as well as Beijing’s recent unveiling of plans for its massive, 1 trillion yuan ($138 billion) bond issuance.

A prolonged slump in the property market has been a key point of pressure on the Chinese economy, despite repeated efforts from Beijing to support the sector. A slew of major Chinese cities had relaxed restrictions on home buying in the past two weeks. 

Dollar steady with PPI, CPI data on tap 

The dollar index and dollar index futures rose slightly in Asian trade, as traders remained biased to the greenback ahead of inflation readings in the coming days.

PPI data is due later on Tuesday, while the more closely-watched consumer price index reading is due later on Wednesday. Both readings are likely to factor into the outlook for U.S. interest rates, with any signs of sticky U.S. inflation presenting more headwinds for Asian currencies. 

Most regional units were muted on Tuesday. The Australian dollar’s AUDUSD pair fell 0.1%, while the South Korean won’s USDKRW and the Singapore dollar’s USDSGD rose 0.2% and 0.1%, respectively. 

The Indian rupee’s USDINR pair remained close to record highs as data on Monday showed Indian CPI inflation remained steady in April.