Asian session: The Australian dollar rose

The dollar held firm on Tuesday, having extended its rebound for a second session after two Federal Reserve officials supported the case for a hike in interest rates sooner rather than later. Atlanta Fed President Dennis Lockhart said there was sufficient economic momentum to justify a further rate hike "possibly as early as the meeting scheduled for end of April". San Francisco Federal Reserve Bank President John Williams told Market News International that April or June would be "potential times for a rate hike."

The Australian dollar rose as Reserve Bank of Australia governor Glenn Stevens has cheered signs that house price growth in Sydney and Melbourne have cooled thanks to a "timely" regulatory crackdown on lending standards. In a speech in which he said it was too soon to know whether the turmoil that up-ended global financial markets early this year has come to an end, Mr Stevens emphasised Australia's resilience against any potential disaster.

EUR / USD: during the Asian session, the pair rose to $ 1.1260

GBP / USD: during the Asian session, the pair was trading in the $ 1.4365-85

USD / JPY: during the Asian session, the pair was trading in range Y111.80-20

Based on Reuters materials