AUDUSD NEWS (AUSTRALIAN DOLLAR US DOLLAR)

AUD/USD struggles to hold above 0.6900, eyes on US data

After posting modest daily losses on Thursday, the AUD/USD pair edged higher to 0.6912 on Friday but reversed its course ahead of the American session. As of writing, the pair was down 0.06% on the day at 0.6895. 

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SPECIAL AUDUSD YEARLY FORECAST

AUD/USD Price Forecast 2020: May the aussie live in interesting times

Valeria Bednarik
FXStreet

It’s a well-known fact that when China sneezes, Australia gets a cold. The commodity-producer country depends on its Asian neighbor to keep its economy alive, as most of its exports end up being shipped to China. The trade war between Beijing and Washington took its toll on the Australian economy, hence in AUD/USD, which fell in October to a one-decade low of 0.6670 back in October. Quite a slump considering the pair topped at 0.8135 in January 2018, shortly before the trade war started. It is hard to tell whether the RBA was more concerned – back then, or now. Indeed, policymakers needed the Aussie to be cheaper, but not at the cost they finally had to pay.

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Latest AUDUSD Analysis

Editors' picks

EUR/USD drops below 1.11 amid upbeat US data, trade concerns

EUR/USD drops below 1.11 amid upbeat US data, trade concerns

EUR/USD is trading below 1.11 after robust US housing figures and solid consumer sentiment figures were published. Earlier, the common currency suffered from the concerns of new US tariffs on the EU.

EUR/USD News

GBP/USD down 100 pips after UK retail sales badly disappoint, amid USD strength

GBP/USD down 100 pips after UK retail sales badly disappoint, amid USD strength

GBP/USD has plunged below 1.3050 after UK retail sales badly disappointed with a fall of 0.6% in December, on top of downward revisions. Odds of a BOE cut have risen.

GBP/USD News

Crypto market hyperspace mode On

Crypto market hyperspace mode On

The secondary actors of the crypto-sphere awaken and rally hard. Leading coins battle with greater resistance at the gates of a full bullish market. The only risk is an over-shoot, but that sentiment remains neutral.

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Gold looks to close week flat below $1560

Gold looks to close week flat below $1560

The XAU/USD pair climbed to a fresh daily high of $1560 in the early trading hours of the American session but struggled to preserve its momentum.

Gold News

USD/JPY: Losing bullish momentum but retaining gains

USD/JPY: Losing bullish momentum but retaining gains

Chinese encouraging data kept markets in risk-on mode at the beginning of the day. The US January Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index is seen at 99.3, matching December figure. USD/JPY holding at the upper end of its weekly range could correct lower.

USD/JPY News

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About AUD/USD

AUD/USD, The 'Aussie'

The AUD/USD pair, also called the “Aussie”, tells the trader how many US dollars (the quote currency) are needed to purchase one Australian dollar (the base currency). This currency pair is also known as the "Aussie". Together with the New Zealand Dollar and the Canadian Dollar, the AUD is a commodity currency, that is a currency whose country's exports are largely comprised of raw materials (precious metals, oil, agriculture, etc.).

The interest rates set by the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) have been among the highest of industrialized countries and the relatively high liquidity of the AUD has made it an attractive tool for carry traders looking for a currency with the highest yields. These factors made the AUD very popular among currency traders.

AUD/USD CORRELATIONS

Australia is a big exporter to China and its economy and currency reflect any change in the situation in that country. The prevailing view is that the Australian Dollar offers diversification benefits in a portfolio containing the major world currencies because of its greater exposure to Asian economies.

This correlation with the Shanghai stock exchange is to be added to the correlation it has with gold. The pair AUD/USD often rises and falls along with the price of gold. In the financial world, gold is viewed as a safe haven against inflation and it is one of the most traded commodities.

ORGANIZATIONS, PEOPLE AND ECONOMIC DATA THAT INFLUENCE AUD/USD

The AUD/USD news can be seriously affected by the decisions taken by these organizations and people:

  • Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) that issues statements and decides on the interest rates of the country. Its president is Philip Lowe.
  • Australian Government and its Department of Finance that implement policies that affect the economy of the country.
  • The US Government: events as administration statements, new laws and regulations or fiscal policy can increase or decrease the value of the US Dollar and the currencies traded against it, in this case, the Australian Dollar.
  • Fed, the Federal Reserve of the United States whose president is Jerome Powell. The Fed controls the monetary policy, through active duties such as managing interest rates, setting the reserve requirement, and acting as a lender of last resort to the banking sector during times of bank insolvency or financial crisis.

In terms of economic data, as for most currencies, the AUD/USD traders have to keep an eye on:

  • GDP (Gross Domestic Product), the total market value of all final goods and services produced in a country. It is a gross measure of market activity because it indicates the pace at which a country's economy is growing or decreasing. Generally speaking, a high reading or a better than expected number is seen as positive for the AUD, while a low reading is negative.
  • Inflation measured by key indicators as the CPI (Core Price Index) and the PPI (Production Price Index), which reflect changes in purchasing trends.
  • Current Trade Balance, a balance between exports and imports of total goods and services. A positive value shows trade surplus, while a negative value shows trade deficit. If a steady demand in exchange for AUD exports is seen, that would turn into a positive growth in the trade balance, and that should be positive for the AUD.

Philip Lowe

Philip Lowe is Governor of the Reserve Bank of Australia. Dr Lowe holds a PhD from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a B.Comm (Honours) in Economics/Econometrics from the University of New South Wales. He has authored numerous papers, including on the linkages between monetary policy and financial stability. He commenced as Governor on 18 September 2016.

Lowe on RBA'S Profile and Wikipedia

Jerome Powell

Jerome Powell took office as chairman of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System in February 2018, for a four-year term ending in February 2022. His term as a member of the Board of Governors will expire January 31, 2028. Born in Washington D.C., he received a bachelor’s degree in politics from Princeton University in 1975 and earned a law degree from Georgetown University in 1979. Powell served as an assistant secretary and as undersecretary of the Treasury under President George H.W. Bush. He also worked as a lawyer and investment banker in New York City. From 1997 through 2005, Powell was a partner at The Carlyle Group.

Jerome Powell Fed's Profile and Wikipedia

RBA NEWS & ANALYSIS

FED NEWS & ANALYSIS

ASSETS THAT INFLUENCE AUD/USD THE MOST

  • Currencies: NZD and JPY (New Zealand and Japan are important regional partners of Australia). Other important group of influent pairs includes: EUR/USD, GBP/USD, USD/JPY, USD/CHF, NZD/USD and USD/CAD.
  • Commodities: The most important is Gold, as already explained above, but also Iron Ore and Natural Gas.
  • Bonds: GACGB10 (Australian Government Bonds Generic Yield 10 Year), GNZGB10 (New Zealand Government Bond 10 Year) and T-NOTE 10Y (10 year US Treasury note).
  • Indices: S&P/ASX 200 (stocks of the Australian Securities Exchange), S&P/TSX Global Gold Index (includes producers of gold and related products at the Toronto Stock Exchange).