investingLive Asia-Pacific FX news wrap: US shutdown continues to move closer to ending

Forex Short News

The U.S. Senate voted to approve the bill to end the government shutdown, as expected. The bill now heads to the House, where voting is set for Wednesday at 4 p.m. Eastern. Lawmakers are returning to Washington after the chamber’s 54-day recess. Gold extended its climb, trading above US$4,140 as I update.

USD/JPY was another mover. The weak yen prompted mild verbal intervention from Japan, with Economy Minister Kiuchi acknowledging that high inflation is eroding household purchasing power and that the weak yen continues to lift import costs and consumer prices. He said Tokyo will expand measures to cushion the impact of higher living costs, including targeted aid for vulnerable households and energy relief. Kiuchi reiterated the government’s goal of wage growth outpacing inflation to restore real income gains and sustain consumption. The remarks offered little support for the yen, USD/JPY rose to circa 154.50, its highest since February.

In Australia, consumer sentiment jumped sharply in November, with the Westpac-MI index surging 12.8% to 103.8, the first move into net optimism in nearly four years. The strength looks puzzling given rising unemployment, sticky inflation, and the RBA’s signal of no near-term rate cuts — especially as the separate ANZ-Roy Morgan weekly gauge remains near a 12-month low at 83.5. Respondents were more upbeat on the economy and job security, while dwelling-price expectations rose further amid ongoing policy support. Westpac called the data “extraordinary and somewhat surprising”; I’d add, not entirely credible.

Australian business conditions also strengthened in October, with the NAB index up to +9, the highest since March, as firms reported stronger sales and profits while cost pressures eased. Capacity utilisation stayed high at 83.4%, underscoring a tight economy that justifies the RBA’s cautious stance on cuts. Business confidence dipped slightly to +6 but remained above average, pointing to solid underlying momentum despite lingering margin and wage pressures.

The AUD/USD and NZD/USD both drifted a little lower on the session, though ranges were unremarkable. The U.S. dollar was bid more broadly also, with the CAD, EUR, and GBP easing modestly. Bitcoin edged higher.

Asia-Pac
stocks:

Japan
(Nikkei 225) +0.43%

Hong
Kong (Hang Seng) -0.2% Hong
Kong stocks near
a
1-month high

Shanghai
Composite -0.4%

Australia
(S&P/ASX 200) -0.11%

This article was written by Eamonn Sheridan at investinglive.com.