Austan Goolsbee Signals Potential for More Fed Rate Cuts as Inflation Shows Improvement 
BOJ Poised for Historic Rate Hike as Japan Signals Shift Toward Monetary Normalization 
Asian Currencies Slip as Dollar Strengthens; Indian Rupee Rebounds on Intervention Hopes 
Yen Near Lows as Markets Await Bank of Japan Rate Decision, Euro Slips After ECB Signals Caution 
U.S. Stock Futures Slip After CPI-Fueled Rally as Markets Weigh Economic Uncertainty 
Gold and Silver Surge as Safe Haven Demand Rises on U.S. Economic Uncertainty 
Gold and Silver Prices Dip as Markets Await Key U.S. Economic Data 
Silver Prices Hit Record High as Safe-Haven Demand Surges Amid U.S. Economic Uncertainty 
Oil Prices Climb on Venezuela Blockade, Russia Sanctions Fears, and Supply Risks 
New Zealand Business Confidence Hits 30-Year High as Economic Outlook Improves 
The Japanese government bonds remained flat Tuesday ahead of the country’s household spending data for the month of January, scheduled to be released today by 23:00GMT. Also, Japan’s super-long 30-year auction, due to be held on March 7 at 03:35GMT will add further direction in the debt market.
The yield on the benchmark 10-year JGB note, which moves inversely to its price, remained tad higher at 0.007 percent, the yield on the long-term 30-year traded flat at 0.640 percent while the yield on short-term 2-year slumped nearly 14 basis points to -0.138 percent by 07:15GMT.
Yesterday marked a positive session for most risk assets, but the market enthusiasm about an imminent US-China trade deal (beyond a “soybean solution” as dubbed by Lighthizer) has petered out overnight, with Wall Street closing lower and UST bonds gaining, with the 10-year bond yield retracing to 2.72 percent, OCBC Treasury Research reported.
Elsewhere, on the Brexit front, UK PM May is sending AG Cox back to Brussels today to negotiate legally binding changes to the Irish backstop ahead of her Parliament vote on 12 March.
With China’s National People’s Congress getting underway today, given market anticipation of a 3 percent point cut in the manufacturing value-add tax rate, Asian markets may need fresh catalysts for the next move higher beyond jawboning for the US-China trade deal, the report added.
Meanwhile, the Nikkei 225 index closed 0.53 percent lower at 21,705.50, while at 07:00GMT, the FxWirePro's Hourly JPY Strength Index remained neutral at -9.78 (a reading above +75 indicates a bullish trend, while that below -75 a bearish trend). For more details, visit http://www.fxwirepro.com/currencyindex
