USD losing altitude
• Softer USD. Firmer JPY & positive rhetoric about a possible US-China trade deal weigh on the USD. AUD & NZD up at pre-Christmas levels.• US consumer. Update from Walmart raised concerns about the health of the US consumer. Household spending is the engine room of the US economy.• AU jobs. Another positive jobs report. Employment stronger than expected. Data supports the RBA’s ‘hawkish’ guidance about future rate cuts. Global Trends Economic data didn’t move the needle overnight, rather concerns about the health of the US consumer via an update from bellwether stock Walmart and hopes of a trade deal...