Australian Dollar holds losses as US Dollar rises ahead of Fed policy decision
- Australian Dollar stays subdued after Australia’s December CPI data was released on Wednesday.
- Australia’s December inflation rose to 3.8% year-over-year, above 3.6% expected and up from 3.4% in November.
- The “Sell America” theme persists, pushing DXY downwards ahead of the Fed decision.
The Australian Dollar (AUD) edges lower against the US Dollar (USD) on Wednesday after registering over 1% gains in the previous session. The AUD/USD pair depreciates as the AUD remains subdued following the release of Australia’s Consumer Price Index (CPI) data for December, reported by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).
Australia’s CPI rose by 3.8% year-over-year (YoY) in December, following a 3.4% increase prior. The market consensus was for 3.6% growth in the reported period. Australia’s RBA Trimmed Mean inflation increased to 0.2% month-over-month (MoM) and 3.3% year-over-year (YoY). The monthly CPI rose 1.0% in December, up from 0% previously and above the 0.7% forecast.
Australia’s headline inflation is remaining above the Reserve Bank of Australia’s (RBA) 2–3% target, reinforcing the likelihood of a tighter RBA monetary policy, supported by recent PMI data and employment data.
US Dollar edges higher ahead of Fed policy decision
- The US Dollar Index (DXY), which measures the value of the US Dollar against six major currencies, is rising after registering more than 1% losses in the previous session and trading near 96.10 at the time of writing. The “Sell America” narrative continues to dominate sentiment, limiting the upside of the Greenback ahead of the Federal Reserve (Fed) policy decision.
- The Federal Reserve is widely expected to keep rates unchanged at 3.50%–3.75% at the end of its two-day meeting on Wednesday, following three consecutive rate cuts in 2025. Markets will focus on the post-meeting press conference for guidance on the policy outlook in the months ahead.
- Jonas Goltermann, deputy chief markets economist at Capital Economics, said in a note, “While there are several potential culprits for the dollar’s drop, the main driver is the fallout from reports that the US Treasury is considering direct currency intervention."
- US President Donald Trump stated that the value of the USD is "great" when asked whether he thought it had declined too much. His comments exert some selling pressure on the US Dollar.
- US ADP Employment Change 4-week average was reported at 7.75K, down from the previous report of 8K.
- Trump warned he would impose 100% tariffs on Canadian goods if Ottawa were to strike a trade deal with China, the BBC reported over the weekend. In response, Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney said on Sunday that Canada has no plans to pursue a free trade agreement with China, clarifying that his recent understanding with Beijing only reduced tariffs in a few sectors that had been hit recently.
- Australia's S&P Global Manufacturing Purchasing Managers Index (PMI), which came in at 52.4 in January versus 51.6 prior. Services PMI climbed to 56.0 in January from the previous reading of 51.1, while the Composite PMI climbed to 55.5 in January versus 51.0 prior.
- Employment Change, which arrived at 65.2K in December, swung from 28.7K job losses (revised from 21.3K) in November, compared with the consensus forecast of 30K. Meanwhile, the Unemployment Rate declined to 4.1% from 4.3% prior, against the market consensus of 4.4%.
Australian Dollar pulls back from confluence resistance zone around 0.7000
The AUD/USD pair is trading around 0.6990 on Wednesday. Daily chart analysis indicates that the pair is rising within the ascending channel pattern, indicating a persistent bullish bias. The 14-day Relative Strength Index (RSI) at 80.27 is overbought, signaling stretched momentum.
The AUD/USD pair tested the confluence resistance zone around the upper boundary of the ascending channel near the 0.7022, the highest level since February 2023, recorded on Wednesday. On the downside, the primary support lies at the nine-day Exponential Moving Average (EMA) at 0.6871, aligned with the lower ascending channel boundary. A break below the channel would weaken the bullish bias and target the 50-day EMA of 0.6701.
(This story was corrected on January 28 at 07:45 GMT to say that Australia’s CPI inflation rose to 3.8% YoY in December, not 3.6%.)
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 | 0.30% | 0.23% | 0.23% | 0.02% | 0.04% | 0.28% | 0.40% | |
| EUR | -0.30% | -0.07% | -0.09% | -0.28% | -0.26% | -0.02% | 0.10% | |
| GBP | -0.23% | 0.07% | 0.00% | -0.20% | -0.19% | 0.05% | 0.17% | |
| JPY | -0.23% | 0.09% | 0.00% | -0.18% | -0.16% | 0.07% | 0.19% | |
| CAD | -0.02% | 0.28% | 0.20% | 0.18% | 0.02% | 0.25% | 0.38% | |
| AUD | -0.04% | 0.26% | 0.19% | 0.16% | -0.02% | 0.24% | 0.36% | |
| NZD | -0.28% | 0.02% | -0.05% | -0.07% | -0.25% | -0.24% | 0.12% | |
| CHF | -0.40% | -0.10% | -0.17% | -0.19% | -0.38% | -0.36% | -0.12% |
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.
