XAGAUD Exchange Rate

The total number of building permits issued in Australia was up a seasonally adjusted 1.9 percent on month in March, the Australian Bureau of Statistics said on Thursday - coming in at 12,947.

The Reserve Bank of Australia left its benchmark interest rates unchanged at a 12-year high for a fourth straight meeting, as widely expected, on Tuesday. The policy board of the RBA, led by Governor Michele Bullock, decided to maintain the cash rate target at 4.35 percent. The board also retained the interest rate paid on Exchange Settlement balances at 4.25 percent.

The value of retail sales in Australia was down a seasonally adjusted 0.4 percent on month in March, the Australian Bureau of Statistics said on Tuesday - coming in at A$35.663 billion.

The services sector in Australia continued to expand in April, albeit at a slower rate, the latest survey from Judo Bank revealed on Friday with a services PMI score of 53.6.