Japan's Yen, South Korean Won, Thai Baht: Asia Currency Preview

By Bob Chen

Oct. 9 (Bloomberg) -- The following events and economic reports may influence trading in Asian currencies today. Exchange rates are from the previous session.

Japanese yen: The Cabinet Office will release machinery orders data for August at 8:50 a.m. in Tokyo. The Finance Ministry will release weekly portfolio flows data at 8:50 a.m. local time.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Takeo Kawamura will hold briefings at 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. in Tokyo. Vice Finance Minister Kazuyuki Sugimoto is scheduled to give a press conference at 5 p.m.

The yen traded at 99.51 at 8:09 a.m. in Tokyo.


Singapore dollar: The Ministry of Trade and Industry will release advance estimates for third quarter gross domestic product growth tomorrow. Singapore's economy grew 0.8 percent in the third quarter from a year earlier, slowing from 2.1 percent during the previous quarter, according to a Bloomberg News survey of economists.

The Singapore dollar traded at S$1.4660.

South Korean won: The Bank of Korea will leave its benchmark interest rate unchanged at 5.25 percent today, according to all 18 economists in a Bloomberg News survey. Policy makers will announce their decision at 10 a.m. in Seoul.

The won traded at 1,395.

Thai baht: The University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce will report consumer confidence for September at 11 a.m. in Bangkok. The index dropped to 70.5 in August, the lowest level this year, from 71.8 the previous month.

The baht traded at 34.44.

-- With reporting by Stanley White in Tokyo. Editors: Nicholas Reynolds

To contact the reporter on this story: Bob Chen in Hong Kong at bchen45@bloomberg.net.