AUD/NZD edges lower to 1.0770 following RBA rate decision
|- AUD/NZD attracts some sellers to 1.0770 after the RBA rate decision on Tuesday.
- The RBA held the Official Cash Rate (OCR) steady at 4.35% after its March meeting on Tuesday, as widely expected.
- The less hawkish stance of the RBNZ weighs on the Kiwi.
- New Zealand’s Westpac Consumer Survey Q1 will be due on Wednesday.
The AUD/NZD cross holds below the 1.0800 mark during the Asian session on Tuesday. The cross edges lower following the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) interest rate decision. The Australian central bank decided to leave the interest rate unchanged on Tuesday. Traders will take more cues from the RBA press conference. AUD/NZD currently trades around 1.0770, losing 0.07% on the day.
On Tuesday, the RBA held the Official Cash Rate (OCR) steady at a 12-year high of 4.35% for the third meeting in a row after its March monetary policy meeting. The markets will focus on the fresh catalysts offered by the RBA on the timing and the scope of a policy pivot. The hawkish remarks from the central bank might lift the Australian Dollar (AUD) against the New Zealand Dollar (NZD).
On the Kiwi front, the Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) decided to keep the policy rate steady at 5.50% for the fifth meeting in a row in February. However, the RBNZ tones down its hawkish stance and reduces the risk of further tightening. The central bank lowered its forecast cash rate peak to 5.6% from a previous projection of 5.7%. This, in turn, exerts some selling pressure on the New Zealand Dollar (NZD) and acts as a tailwind for the AUD/NZD cross.
New Zealand’s Westpac Consumer Survey for the first quarter (Q1) will be due on Wednesday, followed by the Current Account. On Thursday, traders will closely monitor the New Zealand Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for Q4 and the Australian Judo Bank PMI for March.
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