The Australian dollar gained today after a report showed that the number of home loans in Australia last month rose more than was predicted, while positive news from Greece also bolstered the currency.

The number of commitments for owner occupied housing finance rose 2.3 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis in December from November. The median forecast was 1.9 percent, near the November figure of 1.8 percent. The agreement of Greece to take the austerity measures needed to secure aid from the European Union had a positive effect on market sentiment, also contributing to the gains of Australia’s currency.

AUD/USD rose from 1.0738 to 1.0750 and AUD/JPY advanced from 83.33 to 83.53 as of 10:23 GMT today.

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