Australian Dollar holds gains as China’s CPI rises in January
- The Australian Dollar remains firm as China’s CPI rose 0.2% YoY in January.
- US Retail Sales were unchanged at $735 billion in December, missing expectations after a 0.6% rise in November.
- Markets expect January NFP to show 70,000 job gains, with the unemployment rate steady at 4.4%.
AUD/USD recovers its recent losses registered in the previous session, trading around 0.7090 during the Asian hours on Wednesday. The pair remains stronger following the release of China’s Consumer Price Index (CPI), which rose 0.2% in January from a year ago after arriving at an increase of 0.8% in December. The market consensus was for 0.4% in the reported period. Chinese CPI inflation arrived at 0.2% MoM in January, versus a rise of 0.2% prior, softer than the expectations of 0.3%.
Australia’s Westpac Consumer Confidence fell 2.6% month-on-month (MoM) to a 10-month low of 90.5 in February, weighed by a 25 basis-point rate hike, the first in over two years. Meanwhile, NAB’s Business Confidence Index edged up to 3 in January from a downwardly revised 2, marking its highest level since October.
The US Census Bureau reported Tuesday that US Retail Sales were flat at $735 billion in December, following a 0.6% rise in November and missing expectations for a 0.4% increase. On a YoY basis, Retail Sales rose 2.4%, while total sales for October–December 2025 increased 3.0% (±0.4%) compared with the same period a year earlier.
Traders will closely monitor the delayed US employment report for more hints about the US interest rate outlook. Markets expect the Nonfarm Payrolls (NFP) to show 70,000 jobs added in the US economy in January, while the Unemployment Rate is projected to remain steady at 4.4% during the same period.
Australian Dollar Price Today
The table below shows the percentage change of Australian Dollar (AUD) against listed major currencies today. Australian Dollar was the strongest against the British Pound.
| USD | EUR | GBP | JPY | CAD | AUD | NZD | CHF | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USD | -0.00% | 0.02% | -0.18% | -0.09% | -0.20% | -0.04% | 0.01% | |
| EUR | 0.00% | 0.03% | -0.20% | -0.08% | -0.19% | -0.03% | 0.02% | |
| GBP | -0.02% | -0.03% | -0.23% | -0.11% | -0.21% | -0.06% | -0.00% | |
| JPY | 0.18% | 0.20% | 0.23% | 0.12% | 0.01% | 0.17% | 0.23% | |
| CAD | 0.09% | 0.08% | 0.11% | -0.12% | -0.11% | 0.04% | 0.10% | |
| AUD | 0.20% | 0.19% | 0.21% | -0.01% | 0.11% | 0.16% | 0.21% | |
| NZD | 0.04% | 0.03% | 0.06% | -0.17% | -0.04% | -0.16% | 0.05% | |
| CHF | -0.01% | -0.02% | 0.00% | -0.23% | -0.10% | -0.21% | -0.05% |
The heat map shows percentage changes of major currencies against each other. The base currency is picked from the left column, while the quote currency is picked from the top row. For example, if you pick the Australian Dollar from the left column and move along the horizontal line to the US Dollar, the percentage change displayed in the box will represent AUD (base)/USD (quote).
Australian Dollar FAQs
One of the most significant factors for the Australian Dollar (AUD) is the level of interest rates set by the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA). Because Australia is a resource-rich country another key driver is the price of its biggest export, Iron Ore. The health of the Chinese economy, its largest trading partner, is a factor, as well as inflation in Australia, its growth rate and Trade Balance. Market sentiment – whether investors are taking on more risky assets (risk-on) or seeking safe-havens (risk-off) – is also a factor, with risk-on positive for AUD.
The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) influences the Australian Dollar (AUD) by setting the level of interest rates that Australian banks can lend to each other. This influences the level of interest rates in the economy as a whole. The main goal of the RBA is to maintain a stable inflation rate of 2-3% by adjusting interest rates up or down. Relatively high interest rates compared to other major central banks support the AUD, and the opposite for relatively low. The RBA can also use quantitative easing and tightening to influence credit conditions, with the former AUD-negative and the latter AUD-positive.
China is Australia’s largest trading partner so the health of the Chinese economy is a major influence on the value of the Australian Dollar (AUD). When the Chinese economy is doing well it purchases more raw materials, goods and services from Australia, lifting demand for the AUD, and pushing up its value. The opposite is the case when the Chinese economy is not growing as fast as expected. Positive or negative surprises in Chinese growth data, therefore, often have a direct impact on the Australian Dollar and its pairs.
Iron Ore is Australia’s largest export, accounting for $118 billion a year according to data from 2021, with China as its primary destination. The price of Iron Ore, therefore, can be a driver of the Australian Dollar. Generally, if the price of Iron Ore rises, AUD also goes up, as aggregate demand for the currency increases. The opposite is the case if the price of Iron Ore falls. Higher Iron Ore prices also tend to result in a greater likelihood of a positive Trade Balance for Australia, which is also positive of the AUD.
The Trade Balance, which is the difference between what a country earns from its exports versus what it pays for its imports, is another factor that can influence the value of the Australian Dollar. If Australia produces highly sought after exports, then its currency will gain in value purely from the surplus demand created from foreign buyers seeking to purchase its exports versus what it spends to purchase imports. Therefore, a positive net Trade Balance strengthens the AUD, with the opposite effect if the Trade Balance is negative.
Author
Akhtar Faruqui
FXStreet
Akhtar Faruqui is a Forex Analyst based in New Delhi, India. With a keen eye for market trends and a passion for dissecting complex financial dynamics, he is dedicated to delivering accurate and insightful Forex news and analysis.
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