Investing.com - The Australian dollar was lower against its U.S. counterpart on Thursday, following downbeat Australian employment data while investors eyed Spanish and French bond sales later in the day.
AUD/USD hit 1.0373 during late Asian trade, the daily low; the pair subsequently consolidated at 1.0385, shedding 0.47%.
The pair was likely to find support at 1.0301, the low of January 17 and resistance at 1.0496, the high of October 25.
Official data showed earlier that Australian employment change fell by 29,300 in December, confounding expectations for a gain of 10,000.
November’s figure was revised to a drop of 7,500 from a previously reported 6,300 decline.
The report also showed that Australia’s unemployment rate held steady at 5.2%, below expectations for a rise to 5.3%.
A separate report showed that inflation expectations in Australia rose to 2.8% in December from 2.4% the previous month.
Meanwhile, France was preparing to raise as much as EUR9.5 billion euros in its first sale of medium and long-term debt after Standard & Poor’s downgraded its triple A rating.
Spain, whose rating was lowered by two levels to A, was set to offer as much as EUR4.5 billion of bonds later Thursday.
Elsewhere, the Aussie was lower against the euro with EUR/AUD rising 0.41%, to hit 1.2377.
Later in the day, the U.S. was to publish official data on building reports and housing starts as well as a report on consumer price inflation. The country was also to release government data on unemployment claims and a separate report on manufacturing activity in the Philadelphia area.
AUD/USD hit 1.0373 during late Asian trade, the daily low; the pair subsequently consolidated at 1.0385, shedding 0.47%.
The pair was likely to find support at 1.0301, the low of January 17 and resistance at 1.0496, the high of October 25.
Official data showed earlier that Australian employment change fell by 29,300 in December, confounding expectations for a gain of 10,000.
November’s figure was revised to a drop of 7,500 from a previously reported 6,300 decline.
The report also showed that Australia’s unemployment rate held steady at 5.2%, below expectations for a rise to 5.3%.
A separate report showed that inflation expectations in Australia rose to 2.8% in December from 2.4% the previous month.
Meanwhile, France was preparing to raise as much as EUR9.5 billion euros in its first sale of medium and long-term debt after Standard & Poor’s downgraded its triple A rating.
Spain, whose rating was lowered by two levels to A, was set to offer as much as EUR4.5 billion of bonds later Thursday.
Elsewhere, the Aussie was lower against the euro with EUR/AUD rising 0.41%, to hit 1.2377.
Later in the day, the U.S. was to publish official data on building reports and housing starts as well as a report on consumer price inflation. The country was also to release government data on unemployment claims and a separate report on manufacturing activity in the Philadelphia area.