Foreign exchange market. Asian session: U.S. dollar traded mixed against its major peers as markets digest the FED comments

(Time/ Region/ Event/ Period/ Previous/ Forecast/ Actual

02:00 New Zealand Credit Card Spending February +6.2% +5.8%

02:10 Australia RBA's Governor Glenn Stevens Speech

06:00 Germany Producer Price Index (YoY) February -2.2% +0.1%

07:00 Germany Producer Price Index (MoM) February -0.6% +0.2 -2.1%%

The U.S. dollar is trading mixed against its major peers. On Wednesday the Fed kept its monetary policy unchanged but dropped the word "patient" from its outlook for monetary policy. The central bank lowered its forecasts for growth and inflation.

Yesterday the Philadelphia Federal Reserve Bank's manufacturing index declined to 5.0 in March from 5. 2 in February, missing expectations for a rise to 7.3. That was the lowest reading since February 2014. The number of initial jobless claims in the week ending March 14 in the U.S. rose by 1,000 to 291,000 from 290,000 in the previous week. The U.S. current account deficit widened to $113.5 billion in the fourth quarter from $98.9 billion in the third quarter, missing expectations for a deficit of $103.0 billion.

The euro is trading moderately higher after yesterday's sell-off.

The Australian dollar rebounded from yesterday's slump. Reserve Bank governor Glenn Stevens held a speech at the American Chamber of Commerce in Australia today. He said that the country is likely to enter a phase of below-average economic growth. The RBA will take the necessary steps to reduce the impact on the economy in this phase of transition but also mentioned that the options for and the impact of measures taken by the bank are limited.

New Zealand's dollar gained against the greenback during the Asian session. Data in Credit Card Spending came in at +5.8% for February compared to +6.2% in January.

The Japanese yen traded slightly lower against the greenback on Friday after the minutes of the Monetary Policy Meeting were published yesterday late in the day. The minutes showed concern that even with a better outlook on economic growth the inflation target of 2% might not be reached and wages could decline as a consequence of low oil prices. Some members expressed that the pace of easing has to be re-assessed.

EUR/USD: the euro traded moderately higher against the greenback

(time / country / index / period / previous value / forecast)

09:00 Eurozone Current account, adjusted, bln January 17.8 21.3

09:00 Eurozone Current account, unadjusted, bln January 29.2

09:30 United Kingdom PSNB, bln February -9.7 7.7

10:00 Eurozone EU Economic Summit

12:30 Canada Retail Sales, m/m January -2.0% -0.3%

12:30 Canada Retail Sales YoY January +4.0%

12:30 Canada Retail Sales ex Autos, m/m January -2.3% +0.1%

12:30 Canada Consumer Price Index m / m February -0.2% +0.7%

12:30 Canada Consumer price index, y/y February +1.0%

12:30 Canada Bank of Canada Consumer Price Index Core, m/m February +0.2% +0.5%

12:30 Canada Bank of Canada Consumer Price Index Core, y/y February +2.2%

14:20 U.S. FOMC Member Dennis Lockhart Speaks