Aussie, kiwi rise

SYDNEY/WELLINGTON: The Australian and New Zealand dollars crept higher against the greenback and yen on Tuesday, but lagged a broader rally in riskier assets on the prospect of further monetary easing.

The Australian dollar briefly flicked above 72 cents after the Reserve Bank of Australia left rates on hold, as expected. But gains were short-lived as the central bank made clear that further easing remained under consideration. The Aussie was last at $0.7187, more or less where it began in the Asian session. The New Zealand dollar edged up 0.1% to $0.6649. Both currencies briefly hit a two-week high against the yen, with the Aussie climbing to 76.14 yen. The yield on New Zealand 10-year government bonds rose two basis points to 0.558%. Australian government bond futures dipped, with the 10-year contract down three ticks to 99.0950 while the three-year contract was steady at 99.775.