- AUD/USD struggled for a firm direction on Thursday and was seen oscillating in a range.
- The risk-off mood benefitted the safe-haven USD and kept a lid on the intraday bounce.
- Mixed US economic data failed to impress traders or provide any meaningful impetus.
The AUD/USD pair seesawed between tepid gains/minor losses through the early North American session and had a rather muted reaction to the US macro releases.
The pair did get a minor intraday lift, albeit struggled to capitalize on the attempted recovery move and failed ahead of the 0.6900 round-figure mark amid a broad-based US dollar strength. Investors remain concerned that a sharp rise in the number of new coronavirus cases globally could trigger fresh lockdown measures.
This, in turn, dampened prospects of a sharp V-shaped global economic recovery and continued weighing on investors' sentiment. The same was evident from a fresh leg down in the equity markets, which benefitted the greenback's relative safe-haven status and exerted some pressure on the perceived riskier aussie.
The USD bulls maintained its bid tone following the release of mixed US macro data, showing that durable goods orders recorded a strong growth of 15.8% in May as compared to 10.9% anticipated. Adding to this, core durable goods orders, which exclude transportation items, and don-defence capital goods orders also came in better-than-anticipated.
The reading was strong enough to offset the disappointing release of Initial Weekly Jobless Claims, which fell less than expected to 1.48 million during the week that ended June 19. Meanwhile, the final version of the GDP report confirmed that the US economy contracted by 5% annualized pace during the first quarter of 2020.
The data did little to provide any meaningful impetus to the pair, which, so far, has just managed to hold support marked by the lower end of a three-month-old ascending trend-channel. A convincing breakthrough the mentioned support might be seen as a fresh trigger for bearish traders and pave the way for further weakness.
Technical levels to watch
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.
Recommended content
Editors’ Picks
EUR/USD drops below 1.0800 after German Retail Sales data
EUR/USD has come under fresh selling pressure and trades below 1.0800 after the data from Germany showed that Retail Sales declined by 1.9% MoM in February. Resurgent US Dollar demand is adding to the downside in the pair. US data are next in focus.
GBP/USD stays weak near 1.2600 amid market caution
GBP/USD remains defensive near 1.2600 in European trading on Thursday. The hawkish tone from Fed Governor Christopher Waller keeps the US Dollar afloat amid a cautious trading environment ahead of key US data releases and the Good Friday trading lull.
Gold price holds strength ahead of US core PCE inflation
Gold price holds onto gains near $2,200 in Thursday’s European session. The precious metal exhibits firm footing ahead of the United States core PCE Price Index data for February, which will be published on Friday.
XRP price falls to $0.60 support as Ripple ruling doesn’t help Coinbase lawsuit against SEC
XRP programmatic sales ruling by Judge Torres was completely rejected by another US Court that ruled in favor of the SEC in a lawsuit against Coinbase.
Portfolio rebalancing and reflation trades emerge into Q2
Yesterday’s price action pointed at a possible end-of-quarter portfolio rebalancing as the session saw the laggards of the quarter like Apple and Tesla gain, and the stars like Microsoft and Nvidia retreat.