Session Recap: Nikkei climbs above 15000 for first time since 2007; USD weakens

FXstreet.com (Barcelona) - A slightly weaker USD in the Asia-Pacific mostly on the back of a stronger Yen, while most currency pairs remained practically unchanged. EUR/USD around 1.2935, AUD/USD around 0.9895, GBP/USD 1.5228, and USD/CHF 0.9660, while USD/JPY printed fresh session lows at 102.04, all of which ahead of a busy day both in the London and NY sessions.

Nikkei index posted yet another fresh 5 year highs above the 15000 points mark, following all time record highs in US equity indexes. Other local share markets were in the red instead, lead by Australian ASX down -0.68%. Hong-Kong's Hang-Seng was the exception rising a +0.58% too. Gold and Oil remained flat although Gold made an attempt to run higher but failed, and Silver printed fresh session lows at $23.23.

In the economic data front Japan posted a Tertiary industry activity decline of -1.3% m/m, almost double of the -0.6% expected, coming from the +1.2% previous, being the worst result in over a year, showing Japanese economy is having a hard time to peak up steam. Australian New motor vehicle sales and Wage price index both disappointed to the downside, with third straight month to the downside in vehicle sales, one of the main reasons behind ASX sells.

Main headlines in the Asian Session:

Forex: EUR/USD forms daily bearish engulfing as 1.2930 penetrated

Goldman Sachs: Australian dollar to fall to 80 cents … at least!

Forex: NZD/USD breaks below 0.8200 for first time in 2 months

Forex: AUD/USD approaching critical support trend line on weekly chart

Commodities Brief: Precious metals struggle as US Dollar Index adds to gains

Japan Mar Tertiary Industry Index (MoM) decreases to -1.3% vs 1.2%

Forex: USD/JPY stalls below 102.50

Japan PM Abe on the wires, saying he is ‘paying attention’ to JGB movements

Forex: USD/CHF jumps to fresh 9-month highs above 0.96

Forex: EUR/JPY closes higher for 5th day in a row

Australian data release – two misses today