In currency markets, the Japanese yen strengthened against the dollar, fetching 116.68 as of 8:20 am HK/SIN, compared with levels above 117.44 yesterday. The Australian dollar remained below $0.72 seen last week, at$0.7185.
The dollar index, which measures the greenback against a basket of six major currencies, last traded at 103.15.
The ever-widening yield gap kept the euro on the defensive around $1.0424 EUR=, after touching an eight-session trough of $1.0372.
Contracts to buy previously owned U.S. homes fell in November to their lowest level in nearly a year, a sign rising interest rates could be weighing on the housing market, the National Association of Realtors said on Wednesday.
The group said its pending home sales index, based on contracts signed in November, dropped 2.5 percent to 107.3.
Crude oil prices edged up for a fourth consecutive session on Wednesday, close to their highest levels since mid-2015, ahead of U.S. oil inventory figures and as the market awaits evidence of OPEC supply reductions in the new year.
U.S. benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil futures CLc1 were up 30 cents, or 0.6 percent, at $54.20 per barrel by 1:29 p.m. EST (1829 GMT), not far from the year's high of $54.51 reached on Dec. 12.
Brent crude futures LCOc1 were up 30 cents at $56.39 a barrel. The international benchmark hit $57.89 on Dec. 12, its highest since July 2015.
Reference: CNBC, Reuters
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