- NZD/USD drops to over a three-month low as the USD buying remains unabated.
- The Trump trade optimism and elevated US bond yields lift the USD to the YTD top.
- Bets for aggressive RBNZ rate cuts and a potential US-China trade war weigh on Kiwi.
The NZD/USD pair prolongs its recent downward trajectory witnessed over the past week or so and drops to its lowest level since August 5, closer to mid-0.5800s on Thursday. Spot prices, however, rebound a few pips during the first half of the European session, though any meaningful recovery still seems elusive in the wake of broad-based US Dollar (USD) strength.
Investors remain hopeful that US President-elect Donald Trump's policies will boost economic growth and the proposed plan to hike tariffs on imports could accelerate inflation. This, in turn, might force the Federal Reserve (Fed) to pause its easing cycle. Moreover, the US Consumer Price Index (CPI) released on Wednesday pointed to a slower progress toward bringing inflation down and could result in fewer rate cuts next year. This remains supportive of elevated US Treasury bond yields and lifts the USD to a fresh year-to-date (YTD) peak.
The New Zealand Dollar (NZD), on the other hand, is undermined by rising bets for more aggressive interest rate cuts by the Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ). This, along with the disappointment over China's fiscal stimulus and looming US-China trade war, weighs on antipodean currencies, including the Kiwi, and contributes to the offered tone surrounding the NZD/USD pair. The downfall could further be attributed to some follow-through technical selling following the overnight sustained break and close below the 0.5900 round-figure mark.
This, in turn, suggests that the path of least resistance for the NZD/USD pair is to the downside and supports prospects for an extension of the recent sharp downfall from the YTD peak touched in September. Hence, any attempted recovery could be seen as a selling opportunity and runs the risk of fizzling out rather quickly. Traders now look to the US economic docket, featuring the usual Weekly Initial Jobless Claims and the Producer Price Index (PPI). This will be followed by Fed Chair Jerome Powell's speech, which should influence the USD.
New Zealand Dollar FAQs
The New Zealand Dollar (NZD), also known as the Kiwi, is a well-known traded currency among investors. Its value is broadly determined by the health of the New Zealand economy and the country’s central bank policy. Still, there are some unique particularities that also can make NZD move. The performance of the Chinese economy tends to move the Kiwi because China is New Zealand’s biggest trading partner. Bad news for the Chinese economy likely means less New Zealand exports to the country, hitting the economy and thus its currency. Another factor moving NZD is dairy prices as the dairy industry is New Zealand’s main export. High dairy prices boost export income, contributing positively to the economy and thus to the NZD.
The Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) aims to achieve and maintain an inflation rate between 1% and 3% over the medium term, with a focus to keep it near the 2% mid-point. To this end, the bank sets an appropriate level of interest rates. When inflation is too high, the RBNZ will increase interest rates to cool the economy, but the move will also make bond yields higher, increasing investors’ appeal to invest in the country and thus boosting NZD. On the contrary, lower interest rates tend to weaken NZD. The so-called rate differential, or how rates in New Zealand are or are expected to be compared to the ones set by the US Federal Reserve, can also play a key role in moving the NZD/USD pair.
Macroeconomic data releases in New Zealand are key to assess the state of the economy and can impact the New Zealand Dollar’s (NZD) valuation. A strong economy, based on high economic growth, low unemployment and high confidence is good for NZD. High economic growth attracts foreign investment and may encourage the Reserve Bank of New Zealand to increase interest rates, if this economic strength comes together with elevated inflation. Conversely, if economic data is weak, NZD is likely to depreciate.
The New Zealand Dollar (NZD) tends to strengthen during risk-on periods, or when investors perceive that broader market risks are low and are optimistic about growth. This tends to lead to a more favorable outlook for commodities and so-called ‘commodity currencies’ such as the Kiwi. Conversely, NZD tends to weaken at times of market turbulence or economic uncertainty as investors tend to sell higher-risk assets and flee to the more-stable safe havens.
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