Forex - Aussie holds flat in early Asia ahead of jobs data, China FDI

Investing.com - The Aussie was flat in early trade on Thursday as investors looked ahead to jobs data seen as a key for the central bank's views on interest rates.

AUD/USD traded at 0.7679, flat, while USD/JPY changed hands at 119.19, up 0.03%. EUR/USD traded at 1.0674, down 0.07%.

In Australia, the MI April inflation expectations are due at 1100 Sydney
time (0100 GMT), which are expected to show weighted mean of expectations
remained within the lower end of RBA's target ban of 2% to 3%.

Then, Australia reports employment data for March with a gain of 15,000 jobs expected and steady unemployment and participation rates at 6.3% and 64.6% respectively.

Later, foreign direct investment for March from China is due with the previous gain up 17%.

The U.S. dollar index, which measures the greenback’s strength against a trade-weighted basket of six major currencies, was flat at 98.55 in early Asia.

Overnight, the dollar trimmed gains against a basket of other major currencies on Wednesday, after data showed that manufacturing conditions in the New York area contracted unexpectedly in April and that U.S. industrial production fell more than expected last month.

In a report, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York said that its general business conditions index decreased to -1.2 this month from a reading of 6.9 in March. Analysts had expected the index to inch up to 7.0 in April.

Data also showed that U.S. industrial production declined 0.6% last month, worse than expectations for a drop of 0.3%. Industrial production rose by 0.1% in February.

Meanwhile, manufacturing production inched up 0.1% in March, in line with forecasts and following a drop of 0.2% in February.

The euro pared losses after European Central Bank President Mario Draghi played down speculation that recent signs of a recovery in the euro zone economy could see the bank scale back its buying program.

He said there is "clear evidence" that the policy measures are effective and added that borrowing conditions for firms and households have "improved notably".

The ECB is monitoring inflation closely the ECB chief said, and it still expects inflation to rise back towards its target in 2016 and 2017.

The ECB maintained its benchmark interest rate at a record-low 0.05%, in line with market expectations. The central bank also held its marginal lending at 0.30% and left its deposit facility rate unchanged at minus 0.20%.

ECB president Mario Draghi was expected to discuss the effects of the bank's €1.1 trillion quantitative easing program on the region's economy at the press conference.