SINGAPORE (MNI) Nov. 18 - The dollar kept to narrow ranges in Asia trade Wednesday morning, with the dollar-negative tone intact but players awaiting U.S. data and the possibility of more currency-related comments from policymakers.

Risk appetite was still alive on the expectation of good results for U.S. housing starts and CPI later in the day. But moribund Asian stock markets and the possibility of currencies being mentioned later in the day by U.S. President Barack Obama and Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao kept the dollar's losses contained.

By 12:30 local time, the dollar was trading at Y89.19 vs. Y89.25 at the Asian open and Y89.32 late in New York on Tuesday. The euro was at $1.4871, down slightly from the Asian start at $1.4875 but still up from the late U.S. figure of $1.4850.

Analysts at Calyon said attempts by European policymakers to talk down the euro were helping to limit its gains in the short term and also pointed out a reported option at $1.48 - $1.51 that expires Friday was keeping any action contained.

Asian stock markets were relatively quiet despite gains in the U.S. overnight. The Nikkei 225 ended the morning down 0.14% at 9,716.35 while the Shanghai Composite ended the morning up 0.26% at 3,291.46.

Gold, meanwhile, hit a new record early in Asian trade at $1,143.95 per ounce before settling back to just over $1,140.

Players were expecting little effect in the currency markets from the possibility of comments from Obama and Wen after their meeting later in the day but were aware of the possibility nonetheless.

For U.S. data, surveys by Market News see median expectations of +0.2% for October CPI, unchanged from September, and 600,000 for the annual rate of new housing starts, up from 590,000 in September.

** Market News International Singapore Newsroom: 65-6559 6144 **