WELLINGTON/SYDNEY, Jan 10 (Reuters) - The Australian and New Zealand currencies were steady at lower levels against a firm greenback on Monday, but held sizable gains against the euro as the euro zone's debt problems continued to haunt the single currency.
* The Aussie resumes around $0.9930, close to Friday's late local level, after ranging between $0.9908 and $0.9993 in the offshore session.
* Aussie support at $0.9918, a break of that could see a deeper retracement to the Dec. 16 trough around $0.9830. Resistance at $1.000.
* The NZ dollar edges up to $0.7580 after opening at around $0.7565. It was $0.7577 locally on Friday and traded $0.7555-0.7638 offshore.
* Support for the kiwi seen around $0.7540, the low on Dec 29, then $0.7523, a 61.8 percent retracement level while resistance seen around $0.7630.
* The Aussie steady against the kiwi at around NZ$1.3100 , having fallen on Friday to as low as NZ$1.3070 as real money and short-term speculative accounts bought the kiwi against the Aussie.
* The euro falls to a four-month against the U.S. dollar on worries about the use of euro zone peripheral country bonds as security and a drop in the U.S. jobless rate, which falls to 9.4 percent, the lowest in more than 18 months.
* Several euro zone members expected to issue 20-22 billion euros of bonds this week which is seen as a test of how market will treat peripheral country debt. The level of yields seen as a key in setting the euro's direction this week.
* The euro slid to around A$1.2951, a near-two week low, against Friday's late local level of A$1.3070, and hits a five-year low against the kiwi at NZ$1.6963.
* Data flow for Australia and New Zealand picks up this week. Today sees Australian November retail sales, with expectations for a rise of 0.3 percent following October's surprisingly weak 1.1 pct drop, and December ANZ job advertisements.
* NZ November trade data also due with a slight deficit for the month but continuing large annual surplus expected.
* Later this week Australian trade and employment numbers, while New Zealand has building and business sentiment.
* Australian bond futures push higher with Treasuries after U.S. payrolls failed to meet the market's high expectations. Three-year contract up 0.05 points at 94.83 and the 10-year contract up 0.065 points at 94.430.
* NZ government bond yields a shade firmer with yields a tick lower across the curve. Interest rate futures flat.
(Australia/New Zealand bureaux) Keywords: MARKETS AUSTRALIA NEWZEALAND FOREX/BONDS (+61 2 9373 1800/+64 4 471 4234) COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.
* The Aussie resumes around $0.9930, close to Friday's late local level, after ranging between $0.9908 and $0.9993 in the offshore session.
* Aussie support at $0.9918, a break of that could see a deeper retracement to the Dec. 16 trough around $0.9830. Resistance at $1.000.
* The NZ dollar edges up to $0.7580 after opening at around $0.7565. It was $0.7577 locally on Friday and traded $0.7555-0.7638 offshore.
* Support for the kiwi seen around $0.7540, the low on Dec 29, then $0.7523, a 61.8 percent retracement level while resistance seen around $0.7630.
* The Aussie steady against the kiwi at around NZ$1.3100 , having fallen on Friday to as low as NZ$1.3070 as real money and short-term speculative accounts bought the kiwi against the Aussie.
* The euro falls to a four-month against the U.S. dollar on worries about the use of euro zone peripheral country bonds as security and a drop in the U.S. jobless rate, which falls to 9.4 percent, the lowest in more than 18 months.
* Several euro zone members expected to issue 20-22 billion euros of bonds this week which is seen as a test of how market will treat peripheral country debt. The level of yields seen as a key in setting the euro's direction this week.
* The euro slid to around A$1.2951, a near-two week low, against Friday's late local level of A$1.3070, and hits a five-year low against the kiwi at NZ$1.6963.
* Data flow for Australia and New Zealand picks up this week. Today sees Australian November retail sales, with expectations for a rise of 0.3 percent following October's surprisingly weak 1.1 pct drop, and December ANZ job advertisements.
* NZ November trade data also due with a slight deficit for the month but continuing large annual surplus expected.
* Later this week Australian trade and employment numbers, while New Zealand has building and business sentiment.
* Australian bond futures push higher with Treasuries after U.S. payrolls failed to meet the market's high expectations. Three-year contract up 0.05 points at 94.83 and the 10-year contract up 0.065 points at 94.430.
* NZ government bond yields a shade firmer with yields a tick lower across the curve. Interest rate futures flat.
(Australia/New Zealand bureaux) Keywords: MARKETS AUSTRALIA NEWZEALAND FOREX/BONDS (+61 2 9373 1800/+64 4 471 4234) COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.