Yen, Thailand's Baht, Singapore Dollar: Asia Currency Preview

By Yumi Teso

July 14 (Bloomberg) -- The following events and economic reports may influence trading in Asian currencies today.

Exchange rates are from the previous session.

Japanese yen: The Bank of Japan may keep its benchmark interest rate unchanged at 0.5 percent after a two-day meeting that starts today in Tokyo, according to a Bloomberg News survey.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Nobutaka Machimura will hold briefings at 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. in Tokyo. Vice Finance Minister Kazuyuki Sugimoto will talk to reporters at 5 p.m. local time.

The yen was at 106.40 a dollar at 8:11 a.m. in Tokyo.

Thai baht: A report on June consumer confidence is due today. The consumer confidence index was at 71.8 in May.

The baht was at 33.65.

Singapore's dollar: Retail sales increased 6.5 percent in May from the previous year, after rising 7.5 percent in April, economists said before a report tomorrow.

The Singapore dollar was at S$1.3588.

Philippine peso: A report on overseas workers remittances for May is due tomorrow. Money sent home by Filipinos working abroad increased 18.4 percent in April.

The peso was at 45.662.

To contact the reporter on this story: Yumi Teso in Singapore at yteso@bloomberg.net.