Elsewhere, New Zealand’s central bank skipped a chance to cut its interest rates on Thursday, triggering a short squeeze that saw the kiwi dollar gain a full U.S. cent. The kiwi soared towards $0.6950 NZD=D4, from around $0.6850, after the RBNZ kept the cash rate steady at 2.25 percent. It was on track for a 1 percent rise this week. RBNZ retained an easing bias and tried to talk down the currency, but to no avail.
The yen jumped against the dollar and euro on Thursday after the Bank of Japan held monetary policy steady, quashing speculation that it would ramp up its already extensive easing program. The BOJ stood pat even as global headwinds, a strong yen and soft consumption threatened to derail a fragile economic recovery.
Concerns over China’s economy have eased somewhat while crude oil prices have rebounded sharply from 13-year lows, in theory lessening demand for the safe-haven yen.
After a two-day policy meeting that ended Wednesday, the Federal Reserve said global economic headwinds remained on its radar. But unlike last month, it stopped short of mentioning the risks these posed.
EUR/USD: during the Asian session the pair traded in the range of $1.1300-40
GBP/USD: during the Asian session the pair traded in the range of $1.4520-50
USD/JPY: during the Asian session the pair fell to Y108.75
Based on Reuters materials
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