Dollar steady in Asia

TOKYO: The dollar held steady in Asia on Wednesday as investors await the end of the US Federal Reserve's policy meeting, looking for clues about its plans for its stimulus programme.

The greenback bough 98.19 yen in Tokyo midday trade against 98.17 yen in New York Tuesday afternoon, while the euro was at $1.3738 and 134.92 yen, from $1.3744 and 134.93 yen.

The US central bank's Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) is to wrap up a two-day meeting Wednesday, with markets widely expecting it to keep its $85 billion-a-month bond-buying scheme in place until the new year.

"The FOMC will almost certainly announce no change," National Australia Bank said in a note.

The dollar may struggle to gain against the yen with the unit facing selling pressure by Japanese exporters, said a senior dealer at a Japanese bank.

Markets are also watching for jobs data from payrolls firm ADP due later in the day to gauge the health of the US economy.