AUD/USD marginally higher after robust run of sentiment and wage data


  • AUD/USD stays in positive territory after Australian data indicates economy remains strong. 
  • Australian business and consumer sentiment remain elevated and wage rises continue apace. 
  • The data suggests the Reserve Bank of Australia will keep interest rates high until 2025, supporting AUD.  

AUD/USD is trading marginally higher on Tuesday, exchanging hands in the 0.6590s during the European session. The pair has seen gains following the release of a slew of Australian economic sentiment and employment data during the Asian session. 

The data which included the Westpac-Melbourne Institute Consumer Sentiment Index and the NAB Business Confidence Index showed confidence remaining robust with families and businesses overall optimistic about the outlook. 

The Westpac-Melbourne index showed that the “family finances vs a year ago” sub-index surged 11.7% to a two-year top of 70.9 and Matthew Hassan, Senior Economist at Westpac commented “Consumers breathed a small sigh of relief."

The NAB confidence data showed an improvement in the employment situation. 

“We were concerned about the sharp decline in the employment index, but it jumped back to an above-average level this month, suggesting the robust jobs growth is continuing for now," said NAB Chief Economist Alan Oster.

The Australian Wage Price Index data meanwhile showed a marginal slowdown to 0.8% on a QoQ when it had been expected to remain at 0.9%. It held steady at 4.1% YoY, however. The stubborn wage inflation was mainly put down to the effect of new regulations coming into force protecting public-sector worker pay. 

"By contrast, private-sector wages rose by 0.7% q/q in Q2, marking a slowdown from the 0.9% rise in Q1,” says Abhijit Surya, Australia and New Zealand Economist, for Capital Economics. 

“With job mobility easing, the slowdown in private-sector wage growth should continue apace,” she added.

Yet despite the slow decline in wages, Capital’s pessimism around the outlook for “productivity growth” means it sees the RBA erring on the side of caution and holding off on cutting rates until Q2 2025. This gives the Australian Dollar a strong foundation across pairs. 

The US Dollar (USD), meanwhile, is edging higher according to the US Dollar Index (DXY) ahead of key inflation data from the US in the form of the Producer Price Index (PPI) for July. The PPI is a measure of “factory-gate” wholesale price inflation. If higher-than-expected it might be expected to filter through into higher prices in shops. This, in turn, could keep interest rates elevated in the US. 

The data, along with Consumer Price Index data on Wednesday will provide greater clarity on inflationary forces in the economy and therefore the future trajectory of interest The Federal Reserve (Fed) is currently expected to cut interest rates by either 0.25% to or 0.50% (to 5.25% or 5.00% respectively) in September, however, the PPI and CPI may modify those expectations. 

 

Share: Feed news

Information on these pages contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Markets and instruments profiled on this page are for informational purposes only and should not in any way come across as a recommendation to buy or sell in these assets. You should do your own thorough research before making any investment decisions. FXStreet does not in any way guarantee that this information is free from mistakes, errors, or material misstatements. It also does not guarantee that this information is of a timely nature. Investing in Open Markets involves a great deal of risk, including the loss of all or a portion of your investment, as well as emotional distress. All risks, losses and costs associated with investing, including total loss of principal, are your responsibility. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of FXStreet nor its advertisers. The author will not be held responsible for information that is found at the end of links posted on this page.

If not otherwise explicitly mentioned in the body of the article, at the time of writing, the author has no position in any stock mentioned in this article and no business relationship with any company mentioned. The author has not received compensation for writing this article, other than from FXStreet.

FXStreet and the author do not provide personalized recommendations. The author makes no representations as to the accuracy, completeness, or suitability of this information. FXStreet and the author will not be liable for any errors, omissions or any losses, injuries or damages arising from this information and its display or use. Errors and omissions excepted.

The author and FXStreet are not registered investment advisors and nothing in this article is intended to be investment advice.

XM
Account
7.2
Tools
9.2
Service
9.4
Trading
9.0
Trust
7.0
Experience
8.4
Read review
Moneta Markets
Account
7.4
Tools
6.6
Service
8.0
Trading
6.6
Trust
5.2
Experience
9.2
Read review
Trading Pro
Account
7.2
Tools
5.2
Service
6.6
Trading
8.0
Trust
5.0
Experience
7.0
Read review
Pepperstone
Account
8.2
Tools
8.2
Service
7.4
Trading
9.0
Trust
8.8
Experience
9.0
Read review
XM
Read review
Moneta Markets
Read review
Trading Pro
Read review
Pepperstone
Read review
Trading Pro
Read review
Pepperstone
Read review
XM
Read review
Moneta Markets
Read review
Trading Pro
Account
7.2
Tools
5.2
Service
6.6
Trading
8.0
Trust
5.0
Experience
7.0
Read review
Pepperstone
Account
8.2
Tools
8.2
Service
7.4
Trading
9.0
Trust
8.8
Experience
9.0
Read review
XM
Account
7.2
Tools
9.2
Service
9.4
Trading
9.0
Trust
7.0
Experience
8.4
Read review
Moneta Markets
Account
7.4
Tools
6.6
Service
8.0
Trading
6.6
Trust
5.2
Experience
9.2
Read review

Recommended content


Recommended content

Editors’ Picks

EUR/USD accelerates losses to 1.0930 on stronger Dollar

EUR/USD accelerates losses to 1.0930 on stronger Dollar

The US Dollar's recovery regains extra impulse sending the US Dollar Index to fresh highs and relegating EUR/USD to navigate the area of daily troughs around 1.0930 in the latter part of Friday's session.

EUR/USD News
GBP/USD plummets to four-week lows near 1.2850

GBP/USD plummets to four-week lows near 1.2850

The US Dollar's rebound keep gathering steam and now sends GBP/USD to the area of multi-week lows in the 1.2850 region amid the broad-based pullback in the risk-associated universe.

GBP/USD News
Gold trades on the back foot, flirts with $3,000

Gold trades on the back foot, flirts with $3,000

Gold prices are accelerating their daily decline, steadily approaching the critical $3,000 per troy ounce mark as the Greenback's rebound gains extra momentum and US yields tighten their retracement.

Gold News
Can Maker break $1,450 hurdle as whales launch buying spree?

Can Maker break $1,450 hurdle as whales launch buying spree?

Maker holds steadily above $1,250 support as a whale scoops $1.21 million worth of MKR. Addresses with a 100k to 1 million MKR balance now account for 24.27% of Maker’s total supply. Maker battles a bear flag pattern as bulls gather for an epic weekend move.

Read more
Strategic implications of “Liberation Day”

Strategic implications of “Liberation Day”

Liberation Day in the United States came with extremely protectionist and inward-looking tariff policy aimed at just about all U.S. trading partners. In this report, we outline some of the more strategic implications of Liberation Day and developments we will be paying close attention to going forward.

Read more
The Best brokers to trade EUR/USD

The Best brokers to trade EUR/USD

SPONSORED Discover the top brokers for trading EUR/USD in 2025. Our list features brokers with competitive spreads, fast execution, and powerful platforms. Whether you're a beginner or an expert, find the right partner to navigate the dynamic Forex market.

Read More

Forex MAJORS

Cryptocurrencies

Signatures

Best Brokers of 2025