Aussie dollar maintains strength against greenback

SYDNEY, Jan. 29 (Xinhua) -- The Australian dollar opened the week steady against its U.S. counterpart, which hovered around recent lows.

At the Asian open on Monday, the Aussie dollar was trading at 81.05 U.S. cents, mostly unchanged from the end of last week.

The greenback ended a rough and tumble week languishing at the lows against a range of currencies, Westpac banks head of FX Strategy Richard Franulovich wrote in a morning note to investors.

U.S. President Donald Trumps speech in the recent Davos's World Economic Forum did not break any new ground. He declared the United States open for business and that his 'America first' policies would help the world, said Franulovich.

The Aussie dollar against the greenback was the main outperformer among the currencies to hit its highest levels in just over two and a half years and the U.S. dollar continues to trade on the backfoot, he said.

Event risks include the latest U.S. personal income data, which should signal continued solid nominal growth in wages, albeit with most of the gain lost to inflation. Growth in spending will remain robust, aided by confidence and dissaving.

At 09:16 (AEDT), the Australian dollar was buying 81.06 U.S. cents. Enditem