- Australian Dollar could snap a losing streak as the Greenback declines.
- Australia’s central bank adopted a dovish stance in their recent meeting.
- US Dollar seems lukewarm, despite the positive tone of US bond yields.
- Biden-Xi meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, marking their first in-person meeting in a year.
The Australian Dollar (AUD) aims to snap a week-long slump while the US Dollar (USD) keeps weakening on Monday despite higher US Treasury yields. However, the AUD/USD pair feels the squeeze after the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) struck a dovish chord in their recent meeting.
Australia's central bank issued its Monetary Policy Statement (MPS) last Friday, indicating the hurdles posed by stubborn inflation and a sluggish Australian economy. The RBA has its sights set on realigning inflation with its target. After careful consideration, the idea of hitting the pause button was on the table in November, but the RBA leaned towards the confidence of a rate hike as a more effective measure to tackle inflation concerns.
The RBA board is not turning a blind eye to the financial struggles faced by many households at the moment. Budgets feel the squeeze. Interestingly, the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) is painting a mixed picture by upping its forecasts for both inflation and GDP growth. At the same time, projections for unemployment and wages are taking a downward adjustment.
The upcoming US-Sino Presidential meeting is on the horizon, and President Joe Biden aims to rebuild military-to-military connections with China. White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan shared this insight in a Sunday interview with CBS. The much-anticipated face-to-face between Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping is scheduled for Wednesday, marking their first in-person meeting in a year during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in San Francisco.
Additionally, the Biden-Xi meeting is set to delve into a spectrum of global issues, spanning from the Israel-Hamas conflict to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, fentanyl production, and discussions around artificial intelligence. Additionally, the agenda includes addressing "fair" trade and economic relations between the two nations.
Federal Reserve (Fed) Chair Jerome Powell surprised in his speech on Thursday, taking a more hawkish stance than anticipated. Powell expressed concerns that the current policies might not be restrictive enough to reel inflation to the coveted 2.0% target. However, the market vibe suggests a widespread belief that the Fed has wrapped up its tightening cycle.
However, on Friday, the Greenback faces a challenge after the preliminary US Michigan Consumer Sentiment data for November showed a dip in the mood among consumers in the United States (US). It fell to 60.4 from 63.8 in the previous month.
AUD/USD traders await the Westpac Consumer Confidence on Tuesday. On the US side, all eyes will likely be on the US Consumer Price Index (CPI) on the same day. Meanwhile, China’s Industrial Production and Retail Sales will be released on Wednesday.
Daily Digest Market Movers: Australian Dollar moves sideways, looks for fresh impetus
- RBA increased the Official Cash Rate (OCR) from 4.10% to a 12-year high of 4.35%, responding to the latest Monthly Consumer Price Index (YoY) for September, which indicated a notable increase of 5.6% compared to the expected 5.4% growth.
- Australia’s TD Securities Inflation (YoY) eased at 5.1% in September from 5.7% prior.
- Australia’s Retail Sales grew 0.2% in the third quarter after contracting by 0.6% in the previous quarter.
- Economists at the National Australia Bank (NAB) anticipate another 25 basis points hike in February following the Q4 inflation data. Additionally, NAB believes rate cuts will unlikely commence until November 2024.
- China's Consumer Price Index (CPI) witnessed an annual decline of 0.2% in October, compared to the expected 0.1% decrease. The monthly CPI dropped by 0.1%, contrasting with the earlier 0.2% growth. A weaker economic scenario in China casts a shadow over the Aussie Dollar (AUD), given Australia's heavy reliance on its largest trading partner.
Technical Analysis: Australian Dollar hovers above 0.6350 with a negative tone
The Australian Dollar walks on a tightrope above the crucial support level of 0.6350 on Monday. A decisive break below might set the AUD/USD pair on a downward journey, eyeing the two-week low at 0.6314. On the flip side, the 14-day Exponential Moving Average (EMA) at 0.6387 poses as the initial resistance, followed by the 23.6% Fibonacci retracement at 0.6413, and the psychological hurdle at 0.6500.
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 strongest against the Japanese Yen.
| USD | EUR | GBP | CAD | AUD | JPY | NZD | CHF | |
| USD | -0.02% | -0.10% | 0.05% | -0.02% | 0.18% | 0.00% | -0.07% | |
| EUR | 0.02% | -0.08% | 0.07% | 0.00% | 0.21% | 0.02% | -0.03% | |
| GBP | 0.10% | 0.08% | 0.14% | 0.08% | 0.28% | 0.10% | 0.05% | |
| CAD | -0.05% | -0.06% | -0.15% | -0.07% | 0.14% | -0.04% | -0.09% | |
| AUD | 0.02% | 0.01% | -0.08% | 0.07% | 0.21% | 0.03% | -0.02% | |
| JPY | -0.18% | -0.19% | -0.28% | -0.14% | -0.20% | -0.16% | -0.23% | |
| NZD | 0.01% | -0.02% | -0.10% | 0.04% | -0.03% | 0.18% | -0.05% | |
| CHF | 0.05% | 0.03% | -0.05% | 0.09% | 0.03% | 0.22% | 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 Euro from the left column and move along the horizontal line to the Japanese Yen, the percentage change displayed in the box will represent EUR (base)/JPY (quote).
Australian Dollar FAQs
What key factors drive the Australian Dollar?
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.
How do the decisions of the Reserve Bank of Australia impact the Australian Dollar?
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.
How does the health of the Chinese Economy impact the Australian Dollar?
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.
How does the price of Iron Ore impact the Australian Dollar?
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.
How does the Trade Balance impact the Australian Dollar?
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.
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 retreats to 1.0750, eyes on Fedspeak
EUR/USD stays under modest bearish pressure and trades slightly near 1.0750 on Wednesday. Hawkish comments from Fed officials help the US Dollar stay resilient and don't allow the pair to stage a rebound.
GBP/USD struggles to hold above 1.2500 ahead of Thursday's BoE event
GBP/USD stays on the back foot and trades in negative territory below 1.2500 after losing nearly 0.5% on Tuesday. The renewed US Dollar strength on hawkish Fed comments weighs on the pair as market focus shifts to the BoE's policy announcements on Thursday.
Gold stays near $2,310 as US yields edge higher
Following a quiet Asian session, Gold retreated slightly to the $2,310 area. Hawkish tone of Fed policymakers help the US Treasury bond yields edge higher and make it difficult for XAU/USD to gather bullish momentum.
SEC vs. Ripple lawsuit sees redacted filing go public, XRP dips to $0.51
Ripple (XRP) dipped to $0.51 low on Wednesday, erasing its gains from earlier this week. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filing is now public, in its redacted version.
Softer growth, cooler inflation and rate cuts remain on the horizon
Economic growth in the US appears to be in solid shape. Although real GDP growth came in well below consensus expectations, the headline miss was mostly the result of larger-than-anticipated drags from trade and inventories.