2018.08.1518:03:00UTC+00Australia Unemployment Data Due On Thursday

Australia will on Thursday release July unemployment data, highlighting a modest day for Asia-Pacific economic activity.

The jobless rate is expected to hold steady at 5.4 percent, while the Australian economy is tipped to have added 15,000 jobs following the addition of 50,900 in June. The participation rate is called unchanged at 65.7 percent.

Japan will provide July numbers for imports, exports and trade balance. Imports are expected to gain 14.2 percent, up from 2.5 percent in June. Exports are called higher by 6.3 percent, slowing from 6.7 percent in the previous month. The trade balance is expected to show a deficit of 41.2 billion yen, down from 721.4 billion yen.

Malaysia will release Q2 numbers for gross domestic product, with forecasts suggesting an increase of 1.2 percent on quarter and 5.3 percent on year. That follows the 1.4 percent quarterly increase and the 5.4 percent yearly gain in the three months prior.

The central bank in Indonesia will wrap up its monetary policy meeting and then announce its decision on interest rates. The central bank is widely expected to keep its benchmark lending rate unchanged at 5.25 percent.