|

AUD/USD Analysis: pressure mounts on the Aussie

AUD/USD Current Price: 0.6758

  • Australian Services PMI fell into contraction territory, Manufacturing activity also eased.
  • The poor performance of Wall Street weighed on the Aussie.
  • AUD/USD settled lower in range, at risk of breaking below 0.7640 support.

The AUD/USD pair has lost some ground this Thursday, ending the day with losses in the 0.6760 price zone. The Aussie came under selling pressure earlier in the day, following the release of dismal local data.  The Commonwealth Bank Services PMI contracted to 49.2 in August, according to preliminary estimates, missing the market’s expectation of 51.8. The Manufacturing Index came in at 51.3, better than the 51.0 forecast but below the previous 51.6 Finally, the Composite PMI came in at 49.5, well below the expected 51.5. The pair enjoyed a brief moment of relief when Wall Street opened, but the rally was short-lived as well as that of equities, which came under selling pressure after hawkish words from Fed’s officials. The Australian macroeconomic calendar will remain empty this Friday.

AUD/USD short-term technical outlook

The AUD/USD pair is trading at the lower end of its recent range, but still holding above 0.6740, a strong static support level. In the 4 hours chart, the risk is skewed to the downside despite the absence of directional momentum, as the pair is developing below all of its moving averages, while technical indicators head nowhere within negative levels. The pair could change course on a firm recovery beyond 0.6800, quite unlikely in the current macroeconomic scenario.

Support levels: 0.6740 0.6700 0.6675

Resistance levels: 0.6790 0.6820 0.6860

View Live Chart for the AUD/USD

Author

Valeria Bednarik

Valeria Bednarik was born and lives in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Her passion for math and numbers pushed her into studying economics in her younger years.

More from Valeria Bednarik
Share:

Editor's Picks

EUR/USD hits two-day highs near 1.1820

EUR/USD picks up pace and reaches two-day tops around 1.1820 at the end of the week. The pair’s move higher comes on the back of renewed weakness in the US Dollar amid growing talk that the Fed could deliver an interest rate cut as early as March. On the docket, the flash US Consumer Sentiment improves to 57.3 in February.

GBP/USD reclaims 1.3600 and above

GBP/USD reverses two straight days of losses, surpassing the key 1.3600 yardstick on Friday. Cable’s rebound comes as the Greenback slips away from two-week highs in response to some profit-taking mood and speculation of Fed rate cuts. In addition, hawkish comments from the BoE’s Pill are also collaborating with the quid’s improvement.

Gold climbs further, focus is back to 45,000

Gold regains upside traction and surpasses the $4,900 mark per troy ounce at the end of the week, shifting its attention to the critical $5,000 region. The move reflects a shift in risk sentiment, driving flows back towards traditional safe haven assets and supporting the yellow metal.

Crypto Today: Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP rebound amid risk-off, $2.6 billion liquidation wave

Bitcoin edges up above $65,000 at the time of writing on Friday, as dust from the recent macro-triggered sell-off settles. The leading altcoin, Ethereum, hovers above $1,900, but resistance at $2,000 caps the upside. Meanwhile, Ripple has recorded the largest intraday jump among the three assets, up over 10% to $1.35.

Three scenarios for Japanese Yen ahead of snap election

The latest polls point to a dominant win for the ruling bloc at the upcoming Japanese snap election. The larger Sanae Takaichi’s mandate, the more investors fear faster implementation of tax cuts and spending plans. 

XRP rally extends as modest ETF inflows support recovery

Ripple is accelerating its recovery, trading above $1.36 at the time of writing on Friday, as investors adjust their positions following a turbulent week in the broader crypto market. The remittance token is up over 21% from its intraday low of $1.12.