AUD/USD ascends after US ISM PMIs, eyes on Powell's Speech

The AUD/USD tallied modest gains, seeing action around the 0.6650 level.
The US reported mixed ISM PMIs. China's PMIs were better than expected and tractioned the Aussie.
Investors will look for clues in Jerome Powell’s speech at Spelman College in Georgia.

Patricio Martín FXStreet

In Friday's trading session, the Australian Dollar (AUD) found demand against its US counterpart, with the AUD/USD pair making gains and trading at around 0.6650. The pair's upward movement seems to be the positive PMI figures from China, which improved in November. As the Chinese economy plays a big role in the Australian economy, positive figures tend to benefit the Aussie.

On the US side, for the 12th consecutive month, the US manufacturing sector experienced a contraction in economic activity in November. The ISM Manufacturing PMI remained unchanged at 46.7, lower than the market's expectation of 47.6. Focus now turns to Jerome Powell’s speech at 16 GMT and 19 GMT at two separate events organised by Spelman College in Georgia.

In that sense, inventors will look for clues regarding the Federal Reserve (Fed) analysis of the recent data released by the US, which saw the US Consumer Price and Personal Consumption Expenditures Indexes, two important gauges of inflation for the bank decelerating in the last months.

AUD/USD levels to watch

On the AUD/USD daily chart, it is evident that the buying momentum is dominating. The Relative Strength Index (RSI) is nearing overbought territory, while the histogram of the Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) showcases rising green bars, reaffirming this buying trend.

Moreover, the AUD/USD is hovering above its 20, 100, and 200-day Simple Moving Averages (SMAs). This position is suggestive of sustained bullish momentum, as the pair is trading above these crucial markers, solidifying the control of the bulls on the broader scale.

Support Levels: 0.6600, 0.6580 (200-day SMA), 0.6500.
Resistance Levels: 0.6670, 0.6700, 0.6730.

AUD/USD daily chart

AUD/USD

Overview
Today last price	0.6654
Today Daily Change	0.0047
Today Daily Change %	0.71
Today daily open	0.6607

Trends
Daily SMA20	0.6511
Daily SMA50	0.6424
Daily SMA100	0.6477
Daily SMA200	0.6581

Levels
Previous Daily High	0.665
Previous Daily Low	0.6571
Previous Weekly High	0.6591
Previous Weekly Low	0.6501
Previous Monthly High	0.6677
Previous Monthly Low	0.6318
Daily Fibonacci 38.2%	0.6601
Daily Fibonacci 61.8%	0.662
Daily Pivot Point S1	0.6569
Daily Pivot Point S2	0.653
Daily Pivot Point S3	0.6489
Daily Pivot Point R1	0.6648
Daily Pivot Point R2	0.6689
Daily Pivot Point R3	0.6728

Author

Patricio Martín

FXStreet

Patricio is an economist from Argentina passionate about global finance and understanding the daily movements of the markets.

AUD/USD picks up bids above 0.7100 after RBA-speak

AUD/USD picks up bids above 0.7100 in the Asian session on Tuesday, following hawkish comments from RBA Assistant Governor Sarah Hunter and Governor Michele Bullock. However, escalating tensions in the Middle East and the Fed's hawkish outlook remain supportive of the bullish US Dollar undertone, which could limit the pair. The crucial Trump-Xi summit is later this week and remains in focus.

USD/JPY holds small gains near 157.50 as JPY intervention risks loom

USD/JPY posts modest gains while trading near 157.50 in the Asian session on Tuesday as intervention fears help limit losses for the Japanese Yen. However, the BoJ's dovish rate hike to a 31-year high keeps JPY bulls on the back foot. Meanwhile, the US Dollar retains a bullish undertone amid the Fed's hawkish outlook and escalating Middle East tensions, providing tailwinds for the pair.

Gold: The $4,300 mark holds the downside…for now

Gold extends its decline for a second straight session, retreating toward the $4,300 mark per troy ounce on Tuesday. The yellow metal’s pullback comes amid the resumption of the buying interest in the US Dollar, mixed US Treasury yields and geopolitical uncertainty.

Trump meets Xi: Why markets are watching this summit so closely

US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are set to meet in Washington on Thursday for a summit closely watched by markets. The meeting could determine whether the world's two largest economies extend their truce or enter a new period of uncertainty.

Energy and risk markets remain in the driver’s seat

US stock markets rallied up 2.26% (Nasdaq) yesterday with AI/tech names leading the advance. The Nasdaq even tested the all-time high reached early June. The likes of the S&P 500 and EuroStoxx50 recovered up to 1.5%. Positive risk vibes and lower energy prices supported consolidation on bond markets following the past month’s heavy losses. European yield curves bull steepened.

BoJ Recap: Not as hawkish as expected

The Bank of Japan (BoJ) raised its short-term interest-rate target to 1.25% from 1.00% in a 7-2 vote, marking another step in the normalisation of monetary policy and widely matching what everyone has been expecting for weeks.