Thursday's session was marked by Australian Home Loans data. In trend terms, the number of commitments for owner occupied housing finance rose 1.0% in August 2017. In trend terms, the number of commitments for the purchase of new dwellings rose 2.1%, the number of commitments for the construction of dwellings rose 1.5% and the number of commitments for the purchase of established dwellings rose 0.9%. In original terms, the number of first home buyer commitments as a percentage of total owner occupied housing finance commitments rose to 17.2% in August 2017 from 16.6% in July 2017.
There were no major data releases from Australia on Friday, but from China Trade Balance figures were released. China’s overseas shipments rose from a year earlier, narrowly missing estimates, the latest sign that Asian trade is holding up on robust external demand and a brighter global outlook. Exports increased 8.1 percent in September, the customs administration said Friday, less than the 10 percent projected in a Bloomberg survey. Imports rose 18.7 percent, exceeding estimates with the fastest growth since March, to result in a trade surplus of $28.5 billion.
This week markets will be looking at:
China CPI/PPI (Monday 3:30)
Monetary Policy Meeting Minutes (Tuesday 2:30)
Employment Change/Unemployment Rate (Thursday 2:30)
China GDP (Thursday 4:00)
China Industrial Production (Thursday 4:00)
