The Australian held near nine-month highs on the yen on Tuesday and edged up on the US dollar as investors took faith in surging metal prices and rising Australian bond yields. The Australian dollar held firm at 83.48 yen, having hit a peak of 83.71 on Monday. The cross rate, often seen as a proxy for risk appetite, gained nearly 3 yen last week.
The Aussie also crept up to $1.0155, though trading was thin with China's financial markets still shut for the Lunar New Year celebrations. Support is seen at around $1.0103, then $1.0083, with resistance nearby at $1.0163 and then $1.0201. Across the Tasman sea, the New Zealand dollar spent a second consecutive session in a tight range, holding around $0.7710. It spent the day between $0.7695 and $0.7732.