Foreign exchange market. Asian session: U.S. dollar traded lower against its major peers

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

00:30 Australia Building Permits, m/m January -3.3% -1.7% +7.9%

00:30 Australia Building Permits, y/y January +8.8% +9.1%

00:30 Australia Current Account, bln Quarter IV -12.5 -10.8 -9.6

01:30 Japan Labor Cash Earnings, YoY January +1.3% Revised From +1.6% +0.6% +1.3%

03:30 Australia Announcement of the RBA decision on the discount rate 2.25% 2.00% 2.25%

03:30 Australia RBA Rate Statement

06:40 Switzerland Gross Domestic Product (QoQ) Quarter IV +0.6% +0.3% +0.6%

06:45 Switzerland Gross Domestic Product (YoY) Quarter IV +1.9% +1.9%

07:00 Germany Retail sales, real adjusted January +0.6% +0.6% +2.9%

07:00 Germany Retail sales, real unadjusted, y/y January +4.8% +5.3%

The U.S. dollar traded lower against its major peers after the mixed U.S. economic data reported yesterday. The Institute for Supply Management's manufacturing purchasing managers' index declined to 52.9 in February from 53.5 in January, missing expectations for a decline to 53.4. That was the lowest reading since January 2014. Personal spending decreased 0.2% in January, after a 0.3% fall in December. Personal income climbed 0.3% in January, after a 0.3% rise in December. The personal consumption expenditures (PCE) price index excluding food and energy rose 0.1% in January, in line with expectations, after a flat reading in December.

The Australian dollar rose versus the greenback after the Reserve Bank of Australia left its cash rate unchanged today at 2.25% after having cut the benchmark rates to a record low last month. Governor Glenn Stevens stated that further easing may be appropriate in the future in order to spur demand and achieve the targeted inflation rate. The policy board of the RBA will assess the necessity in the net meetings. He repeated that the Australian dollar remains" above estimates of its fundamental value" given the slump in commodity prices and that a lower exchange rate is needed to ensure economic growth that is currently "below-trend pace". Australia's Building Permits rose more-than-expected by +7.9% in January. Analyst expected a decrease of -1.7%. The December reading was revised up from -3.3% to -2.8%. The Current Account Balance fell less-than-expected las quarter to seasonally adjusted to -9.6 billion from -12.1 billion - the figure was revised up from 12.5 billion.

New Zealand's dollar traded higher against the greenback in the absence any major economic reports from New Zealand.

The Japanese yen gained on solid wage data and traded higher against the greenback on Tuesday. Year on year the Japanese Monetary Base for February had a reading of +36.7% compared to +37.4% a year ago. Labor Cash Earnings rose by +1.3%, above expectations of an increase of +0.6% in January. The previous reading was revised down from +1.6% to +1.3%.

EUR/USD: the euro traded higher against the greenback

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

09:30 United Kingdom PMI Construction February 59.1 59.0

10:00 Eurozone Producer Price Index, MoM January -1.0% -0.6%

10:00 Eurozone Producer Price Index (YoY) January -2.7%

13:30 Canada Industrial Product Prices, m/m January -1.6% -2.2%

13:30 Canada Raw Material Price Index January -7.6% -6.8%

13:30 Canada GDP (m/m) December -0.2% +0.1%

19:30 U.S. Total Vehicle Sales, mln February 16.7

21:30 U.S. API Crude Oil Inventories February +8.9

22:30 Australia AIG Services Index February 49.9