Ringgit, Thai baht rise most in subdued Asian FX; shares fall

THE Malaysian ringgit and Thai baht rose and other Asian currencies eked out minor gains while Asian shares fell, as investors held off taking fresh bets ahead of key U.S. data that could shed light on the Fed's easing cycle.

The ringgit gained as much as 0.4% to trade at 4.323 per dollar, near 1-1/2-year highs and bringing its year-to-date gains to more than 6%.