NZ dollar off 15-month high, awaits data; debt weak

WELLINGTON, Oct 22 - The New Zealand dollar settled back below 15-month highs on Thursday ahead of a slew of data that could add further pressure on the struggling U.S. dollar.

* Kiwi <NZD=D4> settles around $0.7570/80 after it had surged to a 15-month high of $0.7635 in offshore trade, benefiting from continuing U.S. dollar weakness and demand for high-yield assets.

* U.S. dollar touched a one-month low against sterling and the euro went above the psychological $1.50 level for the first time in 14 months as investors bet U.S. interest rates would stay low well into next year and lag the rises of other economies.

* Markets looking to Chinese data due later in the session, including third-quarter gross domestic product (GDP), September retail sales, industrial production, fixed investments data and consumer and producer prices. [nSP383524]

* Strength in the Chinese data could give a new boost to the commodity/high-yield currencies such as the kiwi and Aussie dollars.

* Market attention turning to the Reserve Bank of New Zealand's (RBNZ) rate review next week. No change is seen to 2.5 percent cash rate but economists expect it to adopt a neutral stance by dropping its reference to another possible rate cut.

* RBNZ Governor Bollard had said on Wednesday at a parliamentary committee that a high currency was not necessarily an obstacle to raising rates, saying financial markets had already priced in rises well in advance of the RBNZ's time frame.

* NZ bonds weaken, with yields up to 8 basis points higher, as U.S. Treasuries were sold off after the Bank of England triggered fresh anxiety about the eventual withdrawal of monetary stimulus and rate rises. Cautious optimism in the Federal Reserve's Beige Book also weighed. -------------(22 October 2009 13:00 / 0000 GMT)---------------

(Last prices as at 6pm NZ time the previous day) 90-DAY LIVE 2.78 (2.80) NOV-2011 4.465 (4.380) 90-DAY (DEC) 97.06 (97.08) APR-2013 5.245 (5.160) 90-DAY (MAR) 96.55 (96.59) DEC-2017 5.810 (5.730) 90-DAY (JUN) 95.66 (95.7) MAY-2021 6.070 (5.990) RBNZ MCI 420 (387) US 10YR BOND 3.393 (3.332) NZD TWI 67.58 (67.08) AU 10YR BOND 5.773 (5.645) NZD/USD 0.7577(0.7498) NZ/US 10YR SPD +242bp(+240bp) NZD/AUD 0.8162(0.8124) NZ/AU 10YR SPD +4bp (+9bp) NZD/EUR 0.5043(0.5021) NZ 2YR SWAP 4.690 (4.620) NZD/JPY 68.80 (67.97) NZ 5YR SWAP 5.650 (5.595) --------------------------------------------------------------- - (