|

Australian dollar in trouble

The Australian dollar is once again under pressure today, sitting at its lowest level in 3 months against its US counterpart and it may be in for further losses with a possible rate cut from the RBA in the nearest future.

Last Friday Reserve Bank of Australia board member Ian Harper said he wouldn’t rule out a rate cut on the back of disastrous retail sales figures and current inflation numbers that sit well below the RBA’s target rate.

“The RBA is now stuck in limbo. It has a mandate to maintain price stability, to keep inflation under control. Normally, that means acting ahead of the curve, whacking up rates before inflationary pressures build,”said ABC Business Editor Ian Verrender

“Not this time - it will have to let inflation run, to allow incomes to catch up with debt. With no lift in rates for the foreseeable future, the dollar will remain under pressure.” He added.

Over the last month, commodity prices such as Iron ore, copper have tumbled which has taken its toll on the Australian economy and Aussie dollar, and analysts from Capital Economics  predict that the carnage is not over and further falls are expected as demand from China wanes.

This is also expected to drag the Australian dollar down further

"Signs of somewhat softer economic activity in China also raised concerns in the more industrial metals markets. Indeed, we suspect that prices have further to fall, as China's economy slows in the fourth quarter in response to earlier policy tightening." They said

Author

Andrew Masters

Andrew Masters

FIBO Group

More from Andrew Masters
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.