With Japan still off for holidays, Chinese....>

FOREX: With Japan still off for holidays, Chinese PMI data took focus in today's

Asia-Pac session as G10 crosses stuck to fairly tight ranges. All three official

PMI gauges decelerated, with m'fing PMI printing at 50.1 vs. the prior 50.5 and

exp. of 50.5. Caixin m'fing PMI, released 45 minutes after the official figures,

also undershot expectations, as it slowed to 50.2 from 50.8.

- Downbeat Chinese data weighed on AUD, NZD & CAD, with the Aussie landing at

the bottom of the G10 pile. NZD gave away its earlier gains, even as the latest

NZ gov't 9-month fiscal statements indicated a wider than exp. budget surplus,

while the NZ ANZ business confidence survey held at depressed levels.

- CNH softened a touch on the PMIs, but recovered its poise on the back of a

slightly stronger yuan fixing. KRW also registered losses, while JPY lodged

marginal gains post-China PMIs.

- GDP figures from Canada, EZ, Italy & France, CPIs from across the EZ, labour

mkt data from the EZ, Germany & Norway, as well as U.S. cons. conf. & Chicago

PMI come out today, with BoC Gov Poloz set to speak. Month-end flows will also

be in focus, with bank models pointing to varying degrees of USD selling.