Investing.com - The Aussie held gains in Asia on Tuesday after the release of central bank minutes signaled a neutral stance and as the overall market awaits policy reviews on Wednesday from the Bank of Japan and the U.S. Fed.
AUD/USD changed hands at 0.7540, up 0.08%, while USD/JPY traded at 102.04, up 0.11%.
Australia said the second quarter house price index rose 2.0%, compared with with a 2.% gain seen quarter-on-quarter. At the same time, RBA meeting minutes signaled a neutral stance after leaving the cash rate at a record low 1.50% at the September meeting.
The U.S. dollar index, which measures the greenback’s strength against a trade-weighted basket of six major currencies, was down 0.01% at 95.78.
Overnight, the dollar extended losses against the other major currencies on Monday, as investors became more cautious ahead of the Federal Reserve and the Bank of Japan’s highly-anticipated policy meetings this week.
The greenback had strengthened after data on Friday showed that U.S. consumer prices rose 0.2% in August, compared to expectations for a 0.1% gain. Year-over-year, consumer prices increased 1.1%, above expectations for a gain of 1.0%.
The strong data sparked fresh speculation over a potential U.S. rate hike this month, ahead of the Fed’s policy statement due on Wednesday, while speculation for the BoJ centers on a possible rate cut further into negative territory. Investing.com's Fed Rate Monitor Tool showed investors see a 12% chance of a Fed hike in September.