Foreign exchange market. Asian session: U.S. dollar trading mixed against its major peers

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

00:01 United Kingdom BRC Retail Sales Monitor y/y December +0.9% -0.4%

02:00 China New Loans December 853 885

02:00 China Trade Balance, bln December 54.50 49.85 49.1

05:00 Japan Eco Watchers Survey: Current December 41.5 44.3 45.2

05:00 Japan Eco Watchers Survey: Outlook December 44.0 46.7

The U.S. dollar traded mixed against the most major currencies recovering from Friday's losses. The U.S. currency declined on Friday as investors speculated that the Fed might delay its first interest rate hike due to the weak wage growth and in the absence of sizeable inflationary pressure. Average hourly earnings decreased 0.2% in December. The U.S. Labor Department released the labour market data on Friday. The U.S. economy added 252,000 jobs in December. The U.S. unemployment rate fell to 5.6% in December from 5.8% in November, exceeding expectations for a decline to 5.7%.

The Australian dollar traded almost flat against the U.S. dollar with China's trade balance falling more-than-expected, official data showed on Tuesday. The trade balance fell to 49.1 billion in December from 54.50 in November. Analysts expected a reading of 49.85 billion. China is Australia's most important trade partner.

New Zealand's dollar traded lower further retreating from monthly highs against the greenback reached on January 9th in the absence of any major economic reports from New Zealand.

The Japanese yen traded weaker and declined from a four-week high against the greenback during the Asian after Japanese markets were closed yesterday for a holiday. Recovering Asian stocks damped the demand for the haven currency. The current Eco Watchers Survey, the index for Japan's current economic climate rose unexpectedly to 45.2 points beating forecasts of 44.3 after it plunged to a 12-month low of 41.5 in November. The index outlook rose by 2.7 to 46.7 from a previous reading of 44.0 points. Yesterday current account data showed a surplus of 433 for November. Analysts expected a reading of 133.2.

EUR/USD: the euro traded almost flat against the greenback

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

09:30 United Kingdom Retail Price Index, m/m December -0.2% +0.2%

09:30 United Kingdom Retail prices, Y/Y December +2.0% +1.6%

09:30 United Kingdom Producer Price Index - Input (MoM) December -1.0% +0.3%

09:30 United Kingdom Producer Price Index - Input (YoY) December -8.8% -12.2%

09:30 United Kingdom Producer Price Index - Output (MoM) December +0.2% -0.4%

09:30 United Kingdom Producer Price Index - Output (YoY) December -0.1% -0.6%

09:30 United Kingdom HICP, m/m December -0.3% +0.1%

09:30 United Kingdom HICP, Y/Y December +1.0% +0.7%

09:30 United Kingdom HICP ex EFAT, Y/Y December +1.2% +1.4%

15:00 U.S. JOLTs Job Openings November 4834 4848

19:00 U.S. Federal budget December -56.8 24.9

21:30 U.S. API Crude Oil Inventories January -4.0