Investing.com - The Aussie fell in Asia on Thursday as private spending for capital items dipped more than expected, raising some speculation that the economy may need more monetary help going forward.
The U.S. dollar index , which measures the greenback’s strength against a trade-weighted basket of six major currencies, rose 0.05% to 101.36. AUD/USD fell 0.36% to 0.7673, while USD/JPY eased 0.04% to 113.26.
In Australia, private new capital expenditure dropped 2.1% in the fourth quarter, sharper thant he 0.5% decline expected, bringing some speculation that a central bank move to a neutral rate baias could eb revisited.
Overnight, the U.S. dollar gained slightly against major currencies on Wednesday as the Federal Reserve Open Committee (FOMC) meeting minutes were released
But despite a stronger U.S. existing home sales print for January of 5.69 million compared to expectations of 5.51 million, the dollar index failed to add to gains in the early morning U.S. session.