Forex - Aussie weaker in early Asia with focus on flash HSBC China PMI

Investing.com - The Australian dollar held weaker in early Asia on Friday as investors awaited a gauge on China manufacturing in the wake of the European Central Bank's large easing program.

AUD/USD traded at 0.8014, down 0.12%, while USD/JPY changed hands at 118.49, down 0.02%. EUR/USD traded at 1.1365, up 0.03%.

First up, the HSBC China flash manufacturing PMI, which is closely tracked by the market, could be a key event for risk sentiment.

This is due at 0945 local time (0145 GMT). There's not much chance of a significant improvement in the headline reading over December's fall to a seven-month low of 49.6.

Then in Japan, at 1300 Tokyo time (0400 GMT), Japan's former economic and fiscal policy minister, Hiroko Ota, speaks on the outlook for the Japanese economy and
Abenomics at the Foreign Press Center.

Overnight, the dollar climbed to fresh 12-year highs against the other major currencies on Thursday, after the release of relatively positive U.S. jobless claims data and as the European Central Bank announced a large scale quantitative easing program.

In a report, the U.S. Department of Labor said the number of individuals filing for initial jobless benefits in the week ending January 17 decreased by 10,000 to 307,000 from the previous week’s total of 317,000.

Analysts had expected initial jobless claims to decline by 17,000 to 300,000 last week.

The U.S. dollar index, which measures the greenback’s strength against a trade-weighted basket of six major currencies, was quoted down 0.22% at 94.45 in early Asia.

EUR/USD tumbled 1.41% after ECB President Mario Draghi said it will make monthly purchases of €60 billion per month, starting in March and continuing until late 2016.

Draghi acknowledged the action the ECB took last year was “insufficient” to ward off the threat of deflation in the region. The annual rate of inflation in the euro area fell into negative territory last month, dropping 0.2%.

Draghi said the risks to the euro area recovery remain to the “downside” but added that today’s action should bolster the outlook. He noted that lower oil prices should help households and support a wider recovery.