Asian session: The U.S. Dollar Index was near a two-week high

00:00 Australia HIA New Home Sales, m/m October +6.4% -3.8%

00:00 New Zealand ANZ Business Confidence November 53.2 60.5

00:30 Australia Private Capital Expenditure Quarter III +4.0% -1.1% +3.6%

The U.S. Dollar Index was near a two-week high before data next week forecast to show U.S. manufacturing expanded for a sixth month.  The Institute for Supply Management’s index of manufacturing probably slid to 55 this month from 56.4 in October, the highest since April 2011, according to the median estimate of economists surveyed by Bloomberg News before the data are released on Dec. 2.

The Labor Department reported yesterday jobless claims in the week ended Nov. 23 declined 10,000 to 316,000, fewer than the 330,000 median estimate of economists in a Bloomberg poll. The Conference Board’s index of U.S. leading indicators rose for a fourth straight month in October.

The Australian dollar rallied from a two-month low after business investment unexpectedly grew. In Australia, private capital spending jumped 3.6 percent in the third quarter from the previous period, when it rose a revised 1.6 percent. The median forecast of economists surveyed by Bloomberg was for a 1.2 percent decline.

EUR / USD: during the Asian session, the pair rose to $ 1.3585

GBP / USD: during the Asian session, the pair rose to $ 1.6325

USD / JPY: during the Asian session, the pair fell to Y101.95

There is no UK data scheduled for release Thursday, but at 1030GMT, the BOE's FPC will release their latest Financial Stability Report.