Market outlook for the antipodeans: Aussie to retest 0.7600? - Westpac

Ross J Burland FXStreet

Analysts at Westpac offered a market outlook for the antipodeans.

Key Quotes:

"AUD/USD 1 day: The trade balance poses minor event risk for the AUD today. Otherwise it looks like it wants to retest 0.7600, a resurgent US dollar the main factor.

AUD/USD 1-3 month: While further gains to around 0.77 are possible during the month ahead, driven in part by the faltering US dollar and yield-chasing flows, the AUD is losing energy (perhaps a reflection of its declining yield advantage). By year end, there’s a case for a correction towards 0.74 if the Fed tightens in December as we expect. (13 Sep)

NZD/USD 1 day: The disappointing dairy auction and resurgent US dollar caused the NZD to break below a head-and-shoulders neckline at 0.7220, and that break was sustained yesterday. The multi-week target is 0.6950, which coincides with the low formed in July.

NZD/USD 1-3 month: Vulnerable to breaking below 0.7220 towards 0.6950 if the RBNZ cuts to 1.75% in November and the Fed tightens to 0.625% in December, as we expect. (3 Oct)

AUD/NZD 1 day: Retains upward momentum, and should consolidate above 1.0600. The next major target area is 1.0750 area.

AUD/NZD 1-3 month: A break above 1.0600 looms, the RBA likely to remain on hold this year while the RBNZ should ease further. Moreover, the cross remains well below fair value estimates implied by interest rates, commodity prices and risk sentiment. (3 Oct)

AU swap yields 1 day: The 2yr and 10yr should open slightly higher, led by global yield gains, to 1.72% and 2.25%

AU swap yields 1-3 month: If the RBA sits tight at 1.5% during the remainder of this year the 2yr should eventually find a base around 1.60%. However the main risk is that markets continue to price in a sub-1.5% cash rate. (15 Aug)

NZ swap yields 1 day: NZ 2yr swap rates should open 1bp higher at 2.07%, the 10yr up 2bp at 2.64%.

NZ swap yields 1-3 month: Slightly lower. The OCR is likely to be cut to 1.75% in November. That should result in a 2yr swap rate of around 1.90%, although the risk is it could be lower if markets expect a 1.5% terminal OCR. (15 Aug)"

Author

Ross J Burland

FXStreet

Ross J Burland, born in England, UK, is a sportsman at heart. He played Rugby and Judo for his county, Kent and the South East of England Rugby team.

AUD/USD bulls regain control above 0.6950 amid USD retreat

AUD/USD regains traction and extends the previous day's bounce from the weekly low, aiming for 0.7000 in Asia on Friday. The overnight pullback in US bond yields keeps the US Dollar below an 18-month high, which in turn offers some support to the pair. Meanwhile, hawkish RBA expectations also keep the major underpinned.

USD/JPY holds gains near 158.00 after Japan's weak Household Spending data

USD/JPY clings to gains around 158.00 after data showed on Friday that Japan's Household Spending fell for the ninth straight month, undermining the Japanese Yen. Meanwhile, the US Dollar remains depressed as the overnight fall in US bond yields counters a hawkish Fed and geopolitical uncertainties, could cap any downside in the pair.

Gold remains range-bound below $4,200

Gold has given up some ground after an initial bullish attempt to reach weekly highs, returning to below the $4,200 mark per troy ounce on Friday. The US Dollar’s strong upside momentum, combined with rising US Treasury yields across the curve, seems to keep further gains in the yellow metal under scrutiny.

Has Bitcoin really escaped the macro forces it was built to fight?

Over 17 years ago, Satoshi Nakamoto designed Bitcoin (BTC) on the back of a global financial crisis as an alternative to the global monetary system outside the control of central banks, governments and traditional intermediaries. This raises a key question: has Bitcoin really become independent of the macroeconomic forces it was built to challenge?

The Euro is not the sick man of Europe. France's bond market is

EUR/USD remains under pressure, near the 17-month low of 1.1161 reached on Monday. The pair has lost more than 7% since its yearly peak, as concerns over France's public finances increasingly weigh on the single currency. But behind the weakness of the Euro (EUR), the problem does not necessarily lie with the European economy as a whole.