Australian Dollar declines as US Dollar continues to gain ground
- The Australian Dollar struggles following the release of domestic economic data.
- Westpac Consumer Confidence fell 3.5% MoM in October, following the previous decline of 3.1%.
- The US Dollar strengthens even as expectations for Fed rate cuts rise and the government shutdown continues.
The Australian Dollar (AUD) faces challenges against the US Dollar (USD) on Tuesday. The AUD/USD pair depreciates following the release of October's Westpac Consumer Confidence and September’s ANZ Job Advertisements. The pair also depreciates as the Greenback continues to receive support despite the increased likelihood of further Federal Reserve (Fed) rate cuts and the ongoing government shutdown.
Australia’s Westpac Consumer Confidence declined 3.5% month-over-month (MoM) to 92.1 in October, a sharper decline than the previous 3.1% fall, marking the fastest drop since April. ANZ Job Advertisements slipped 3.3% MoM in September, a much steeper drop than the previous decline of 0.3%.
The TD-MI Inflation Gauge data released on Monday suggested that inflation may come in hotter than anticipated in the third quarter, despite the Reserve Bank of Australia's (RBA) efforts to keep inflation within its 2–3% target range.
The RBA decided to keep its Official Cash Rate (OCR) unchanged at 3.6% at the September monetary policy meeting. The Australian central bank warned that inflation has proven more persistent than expected, especially in market services, while the labor market remains tight.
Traders will likely observe speeches from Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) officials this week, which are expected to provide further insight into the central bank’s policy outlook following the latest inflation data.
Australian Dollar remains subdued as US Dollar extends gains despite market caution
- The US Dollar Index (DXY), which measures the value of the US Dollar against six major currencies, is extending its gains and trading around 98.10 at the time of writing.
- The CME FedWatch Tool suggests that markets are now pricing in a 94% chance of a Fed rate cut in October and an 84% possibility of another reduction in December.
- Kansas City Fed President Jeffrey Schmid delivered hawkish remarks on Monday, saying that the Fed must maintain its inflation credibility and stressed that inflation is too high. Schmid added that monetary policy is appropriately calibrated.
- United States (US) Senators failed to pass spending proposals to reopen the federal government for a fourth time, extending the ongoing shutdown into a new week. The closure has suspended key federal programs and delayed major economic reports, including September’s jobs data originally due Friday.
- The US ADP Employment Change report, released on Wednesday, showed that private sector payrolls declined by 32,000 in September, while annual pay growth was 4.5%. This figure followed the 3,000 decrease (revised from a 54,000 increase) reported in August and came in below the market expectation of 50,000.
- The latest Job Openings showed the labor market is slowing, yet vacancies rose from 7.21 million to 7.23 million in August. Meanwhile, the hiring rate edged down to 3.2%, the lowest level since June 2024, while layoffs remained at a low level.
- The White House announced that Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and US President Donald Trump will hold their first in-person meeting in Washington, D.C. on October 20 to discuss the Aukus nuclear submarine pact.
- TD-MI Inflation Gauge showed a 0.4% increase month-over-month in September, rebounding from a 0.3% fall in the prior month. Meanwhile, the annual inflation gauge rose 3%, following the previous 2.8% increase.
Australian Dollar hovers around 0.6600 support near nine-day EMA
The AUD/USD pair is trading around 0.6610 on Tuesday. Technical analysis on the daily timeframe suggests that the pair is moving within the ascending channel, indicating a prevailing bullish bias. Additionally, the 14-day Relative Strength Index (RSI) is positioned above the 50 level, strengthening the bullish bias.
On the upside, the AUD/USD pair may explore the region around the 12-month high of 0.6707, recorded on September 17. A break above this level would support the pair to test the upper boundary of the ascending channel around 0.6790.
The initial support lies at the psychological level of 0.6600, aligned with the nine-day Exponential Moving Average (EMA) of 0.6602. Further declines would lead to the support at the 50-day EMA of 0.6563, aligned with the ascending channel’s lower boundary around 0.6560. A break below the channel would likely cause the emergence of a bearish bias and put downward pressure on the AUD/USD pair to navigate the area around the fourth-month low of 0.6414, recorded on August 21.
AUD/USD: Daily Chart
Australian Dollar Price Today
The table below shows the percentage change of Australian Dollar (AUD) against listed major currencies today. Australian Dollar was the weakest against the US Dollar.
| USD | EUR | GBP | JPY | CAD | AUD | NZD | CHF | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USD | 0.18% | 0.20% | 0.09% | 0.07% | 0.17% | 0.37% | 0.04% | |
| EUR | -0.18% | 0.03% | -0.05% | -0.10% | 0.02% | 0.19% | -0.01% | |
| GBP | -0.20% | -0.03% | -0.10% | -0.13% | 0.03% | 0.13% | -0.04% | |
| JPY | -0.09% | 0.05% | 0.10% | -0.01% | 0.11% | 0.17% | -0.08% | |
| CAD | -0.07% | 0.10% | 0.13% | 0.01% | 0.09% | 0.26% | 0.09% | |
| AUD | -0.17% | -0.02% | -0.03% | -0.11% | -0.09% | 0.03% | -0.07% | |
| NZD | -0.37% | -0.19% | -0.13% | -0.17% | -0.26% | -0.03% | -0.25% | |
| CHF | -0.04% | 0.01% | 0.04% | 0.08% | -0.09% | 0.07% | 0.25% |
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.
