Australian Dollar steadies as US Dollar remains subdued due to potential for Fed rate cut
- The Australian Dollar holds gains following the release of mixed data from China.
- China’s Retail Sales (YoY) rose 3.0% in November, falling short of the expected 4.6% and previous 4.8% readings.
- The US Dollar remains subdued as the Fed is expected to deliver a 25 basis point rate cut on Wednesday.
The Australian Dollar (AUD) halts its four-day losing streak on Monday as the US Dollar (USD) edges lower amid tepid US Treasury yields ahead of the Federal Reserve’s (Fed) interest rate decision set for Wednesday.
The Federal Reserve is widely expected to announce a 25 basis point rate cut in its final monetary policy meeting of 2024. According to the CME FedWatch tool, markets are now almost fully pricing in a quarter basis point cut at the Fed's December meeting.
China’s Retail Sales (YoY) rose 3.0% in November, against its expected 4.6% and previous 4.8% readings. Meanwhile, annual Industrial Production increased by 5.4%, exceeding the market consensus of a 5.3% rise.
The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) shared its economic outlook during a press conference on Monday. It stated that the economy remained generally stable in November, with increasing signs of positive changes. The recovery trend in consumption remains intact, and the bureau emphasized plans to implement additional policies aimed at expanding domestic demand.
Chinese authorities, led by President Xi Jinping, have pledged to raise the fiscal deficit target next year, shifting policy focus to consumption to boost the economy amid looming 10% US tariffs threatening exports. The lack of concrete details on fiscal support has put downward pressure on the AUD, given China's status as Australia's largest trading partner.
Australian Dollar receives downward pressure from the RBA’s dovish stance
- The Aussie Dollar faced additional challenges due to the Reserve Bank of Australia's (RBA) dovish stance. Traders are increasing their bets that the RBA will cut interest rates sooner and more significantly than initially expected. However, future decisions will be data-driven, with evolving risk assessments guiding the RBA's approach.
- The preliminary Australia's Judo Bank Manufacturing Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) declined to 48.2 in December from 49.4 in November. Meanwhile, the Services PMI eased to 50.4 in December from the previous reading of 50.5. The Composite PMI dropped to 49.9 in December versus 50.2 prior.
- Beijing has already begun retaliation against Trump trade sanctions, launching a probe into Nvidia, threatening to blacklist a US apparel company, blocking the export of critical minerals to the United States, and tightening the supply chain for drones.
- The seasonally adjusted Employment Change rose by 35,600, bringing the total number of employed people to 14,535,500 in November. Meanwhile, the Unemployment Rate dropped to 3.9%, the lowest since March, lower than market estimates of 4.2%.
- The US PPI jumped 0.4% MoM in November, the largest gain since June, after an upwardly revised 0.3% increase in October. This reading was better than the 0.2% expected.
- The RBA kept the Official Cash Rate (OCR) unchanged at 4.35% in its final policy meeting in December. RBA Governor Michele Bullock highlighted that while upside inflation risks have eased, they persist and require ongoing vigilance. The RBA will closely monitor all economic data, including employment figures, to guide future policy decisions.
Technical Analysis: Australian Dollar rebounds from 0.6350 near yearly lows
AUD/USD hovers near 0.6370 on Monday. The daily chart analysis indicates a prevailing bearish bias as the pair moves downwards within a descending channel pattern. Additionally, the 14-day Relative Strength Index (RSI) also remains above the 30 level, indicating sustained bearish momentum.
On the downside, the yearly low of 0.6348, last seen on August 5, serves as immediate support. A break below this level could put downward pressure on the AUD/USD pair to approach the descending channel’s lower boundary around the 0.6180 level.
The AUD/USD pair faces initial resistance around the nine-day Exponential Moving Average (EMA) at 0.6396, followed by the 14-day EMA at 0.6419, which is aligned with the descending channel’s upper boundary. A decisive breakout above this channel could drive the pair toward the eight-week high of 0.6687.
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 | JPY | CAD | AUD | NZD | CHF | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USD | -0.18% | -0.15% | 0.03% | -0.07% | -0.24% | -0.28% | -0.31% | |
| EUR | 0.18% | 0.08% | 0.31% | 0.17% | 0.11% | -0.02% | -0.07% | |
| GBP | 0.15% | -0.08% | 0.10% | 0.08% | 0.03% | -0.14% | -0.16% | |
| JPY | -0.03% | -0.31% | -0.10% | -0.11% | -0.26% | -0.28% | -0.26% | |
| CAD | 0.07% | -0.17% | -0.08% | 0.11% | -0.11% | -0.20% | -0.24% | |
| AUD | 0.24% | -0.11% | -0.03% | 0.26% | 0.11% | -0.13% | -0.18% | |
| NZD | 0.28% | 0.02% | 0.14% | 0.28% | 0.20% | 0.13% | -0.05% | |
| CHF | 0.31% | 0.07% | 0.16% | 0.26% | 0.24% | 0.18% | 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).
RBA FAQs
The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) sets interest rates and manages monetary policy for Australia. Decisions are made by a board of governors at 11 meetings a year and ad hoc emergency meetings as required. The RBA’s primary mandate is to maintain price stability, which means an inflation rate of 2-3%, but also “..to contribute to the stability of the currency, full employment, and the economic prosperity and welfare of the Australian people.” Its main tool for achieving this is by raising or lowering interest rates. Relatively high interest rates will strengthen the Australian Dollar (AUD) and vice versa. Other RBA tools include quantitative easing and tightening.
While inflation had always traditionally been thought of as a negative factor for currencies since it lowers the value of money in general, the opposite has actually been the case in modern times with the relaxation of cross-border capital controls. Moderately higher inflation now tends to lead central banks to put up their interest rates, which in turn has the effect of attracting more capital inflows from global investors seeking a lucrative place to keep their money. This increases demand for the local currency, which in the case of Australia is the Aussie Dollar.
Macroeconomic data gauges the health of an economy and can have an impact on the value of its currency. Investors prefer to invest their capital in economies that are safe and growing rather than precarious and shrinking. Greater capital inflows increase the aggregate demand and value of the domestic currency. Classic indicators, such as GDP, Manufacturing and Services PMIs, employment, and consumer sentiment surveys can influence AUD. A strong economy may encourage the Reserve Bank of Australia to put up interest rates, also supporting AUD.
Quantitative Easing (QE) is a tool used in extreme situations when lowering interest rates is not enough to restore the flow of credit in the economy. QE is the process by which the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) prints Australian Dollars (AUD) for the purpose of buying assets – usually government or corporate bonds – from financial institutions, thereby providing them with much-needed liquidity. QE usually results in a weaker AUD.
Quantitative tightening (QT) is the reverse of QE. It is undertaken after QE when an economic recovery is underway and inflation starts rising. Whilst in QE the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) purchases government and corporate bonds from financial institutions to provide them with liquidity, in QT the RBA stops buying more assets, and stops reinvesting the principal maturing on the bonds it already holds. It would be positive (or bullish) for the Australian Dollar.
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.
