|

Breaking: RBA surprises markets with rate hike to 3.85% in May, AUD/USD rallies

At its May monetary policy meeting, the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) board members decided to lift the Official Cash Rate (OCR) by 0.25% to 3.85%. That said, market players widely anticipated the Aussie central bank’s inaction, which in turn gave rise to a strong reaction to the RBA's surprise move.

AUD/USD reaction

Following the Aussie central bank’s surprisingly hawkish move, the AUD/USD pair rallies nearly 60 pips to 0.6684. With this, the pair is trading up for the third consecutive trading day.

Also read: AUD/USD Price Analysis: Well set for further downside past 0.6650 on RBA Day

AUD/USD: 15-minute chart

Trend: Further upside expected

About RBA rate decision

RBA Interest Rate Decision is announced by the Reserve Bank of Australia. If the RBA is hawkish about the inflationary outlook of the economy and rises the interest rates it is positive, or bullish, for the AUD. Likewise, if the RBA has a dovish view on the Australian economy and keeps the ongoing interest rate, or cuts the interest rate it is seen as negative, or bearish.

Author

More from FXStreet Team
Share:

Editor's Picks

EUR/USD edges lower below 1.1650 as Middle East tensions fuel US Dollar strength

The EUR/USD pair trades in negative territory around 1.1635 during the early Asian session on Thursday. The US Dollar strengthens against the Euro as escalating Middle East conflict boosts safe-haven flows. Traders brace for the Eurozone Retail Sales and US weekly Initial Jobless Claims reports, which will be released later on Thursday. 

GBP/USD tests key moving averages as growth downgrade weighs

GBP/USD was nearly flat on Wednesday, edging up 0.08% to settle around 1.3370 in a quiet session. The pair has fallen sharply from its late-January high near 1.3870 and is now testing the 200-day Exponential Moving Average, with this week's one-week forex heatmap showing Pound Sterling as one of the worst performers against the US Dollar, down about 1.4% on the week.

Gold re-attempts $5,200 amid a softer USD; reduced Fed rate cut bets cap gains

Gold bounces toward $5,200 for the second consecutive day on Thursday amid a modest US Dollar weakness. Wednesday's upbeat US macro data further tempered hopes for three rate cuts by the Fed in 2026. Furthermore, escalating Middle East tensions might continue to benefit the USD's status as the global reserve currency and contribute to capping the bullion.

Ethereum jumps alongside a spike in open interest, realized price could limit upside

Ethereum has jumped above $2,100 on Wednesday, following a general recovery across the crypto market. The move was accompanied by a spike in Ethereum's open interest, which has increased to 13.43M ETH — its highest level since January 31. 

First Venezuela, now Iran: The US-China energy war escalates

At first glance, the latest escalation involving the United States with both Iran and Venezuela looks like another chapter in a long-running geopolitical story. But viewed through a broader strategic lens, something else may be unfolding: Energy.

Bittensor extends recovery despite retail demand slump

Bittensor, a leading Artificial Intelligence token, is aging up above $190 at the time of writing on Wednesday. Steady price increases characterise the broader crypto market, with Bitcoin holding above $71,000 and Ethereum above $2,000.