Key events ahead: Aussie trade in focus - Westpac

After a day of risk-off/risk-on, analysts at Westpac highlight the key forthcoming events for the day ahead.

Key Quotes:

• "At 11:30am Syd/9:30am Sing/HK we see Australia Feb international trade data. January saw a sharp reversal from December’s shock deficit, posting a surplus of A$1.1bn. But the 4.3% surge in exports in Jan was driven by a $0.8bn jump in gold exports which will be hard to sustain. Westpac looks for -1.6% on total exports and flat imports, cutting the surplus to A$0.5bn. The median forecast on Bloomberg is $0.7bn. AUD usually shows only a small response to this report."
• "Markets in China, Taiwan and Hong Kong are closed today. We will see trade data from Korea and Malaysia but the regional calendar highlight is the Reserve Bank of India decision. Almost all economists in the Bloomberg survey expect a steady hand at 6.0%. The accompanying commentary is always worth noting for the rupee."
• "The US data calendar includes the increasingly topical trade report, with consensus for the deficit to hold around -$56bn."