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

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

07:00 Germany Gfk Consumer Confidence Survey April 9.7 9.8 10.0

The U.S. dollar is trading mixed against its major peers adding gains against the commodity currencies - the Australian and New Zealand's dollar but losing against the euro, the pound and the yen. The weaker-than-expected U.S. durable goods orders data weighed on the currency. Durable goods orders dropped 1.4% in February, missing expectations for a 0.2% increase, after a 2.0% rise in January. January's figure was revised down from a 2.8% increase.

The U.S. durable goods orders excluding transportation declined 0.4% in February, missing expectations for a 0.4% gain, after a 0.7% decrease in January. January's figure was revised down from a 0.3% gain.

The euro is trading higher against the greenback continuing yesterday's gains on solid German data.

The Australian dollar declined against the U.S. dollar. Yesterday the RBA published its biannual Financial Stability Review. The bank said that housing picked up as mortgage rates followed a cut to record lows of the benchmark interest rate to 2.25% in February and warned that there is a risk of a large re-pricing in the commercial property sector.

New Zealand's dollar lost against the greenback during the Asian session in the absence of any major data from the region. It's the third day of straight losses.

The Japanese yen traded rose against the greenback on Thursday, ahead of a set of data including Household Spending, Unemployment Rate and the National Consumer Price Index. Today the BoJ said in a statement that the structural problems of the Japanese economy including a loss of competitiveness and low demand for capital goods are getting better and that exports are likely to get a boost from the weaker yen.

EUR/USD: the euro traded higher against the greenback

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

09:00 Eurozone M3 money supply, adjusted y/y February +4.1% +4.3%

09:00 Eurozone Private Loans, Y/Y February -0.1% +0.1%

09:30 United Kingdom Retail Sales (MoM) February -0.3% +0.4%

09:30 United Kingdom Retail Sales (YoY) February +5.4%

11:00 United Kingdom CBI retail sales volume balance March 1 20

12:30 U.S. Continuing Jobless Claims March 2417

12:30 U.S. Initial Jobless Claims March 291 295

13:00 U.S. FOMC Member Dennis Lockhart Speaks

13:30 Canada BOC Gov Stephen Poloz Speaks

13:45 U.S. Services PMI (Preliminary) February 57.1 57.2

20:00 Canada Annual Budget

23:30 Japan Household spending Y/Y February -5.1 -3.1

23:30 Japan Unemployment Rate February 3.6% 3.5%

23:30 Japan Tokyo Consumer Price Index, y/y March +2.3%

23:30 Japan Tokyo CPI ex Fresh Food, y/y March +2.2% +2.2%

23:30 Japan National Consumer Price Index, y/y February +2.4%

23:30 Japan National CPI Ex-Fresh Food, y/y February +2.2% +2.1%

23:50 Japan Retail sales, y/y February -2.0% -1.4%