Session Recap: USD stronger ahead of US retail sales; Gold stalls

FXstreet.com (Barcelona) - USD improved across the board in last trading day of the week in the Asia-Pacific, making EUR/USD to print session lows at 1.3274, AUD/USD at 0.9236, and Cable at 1.5787, while USD/JPY posting session highs at 99.84.

A bit of risk-off was seen by the Hong-Kong open, thus pulling the trigger on USD bids, and selling on local share markets started, with Nikkei index last down -0.58% and the Shanghai Composite lower by -1%, off from session lows, while Gold stopped the bleeding above the $1320 mark.

The sales tax hike in Japan was main theme in the headlines given the lack of other major economic news apart from New Zealand Business manufacturing index falling to 57.5 from previous at 59.5, all ahead of key risk event at 12:30 GMT in the form of the US retail sales.

Main headlines in the Asian Session:

Gold extends further losses; 9 week lows

New Zealand Business NZ PMI down to 57.5 in August from 59.5

China electricity consumption up 13% in August

More on Japan’s potential $50bn stimulus package to cushion the sales tax increase

Some reports of US embassy in Afghanistan under attack