New Zealand Dollar declines below 0.5850, PBOC leaves lending benchmarks unchanged

NZD/USD edges lower to near 0.5820 in Wednesday’s Asian session.
Traders reprice the chance that the Fed would have to tighten policy to contain inflation.
China left lending benchmarks unchanged in May.

Lallalit Srijandorn FXStreet

The NZD/USD pair declines to around 0.5820 during the Asian trading hours on Wednesday. The US Dollar (USD) strengthens against the New Zealand Dollar (NZD) on rising tensions in the Middle East and a higher-for-longer Federal Reserve (Fed) interest rate stance.

Reuters reported on Tuesday that US President Donald Trump said that Washington may need to strike Iran again and that he had been an hour away from ordering an attack before postponing it. Earlier on Monday, Trump stated that he had paused a planned resumption of hostilities following a new proposal by Tehran to end the US-Israeli war.

The hotter-than-expected US inflation report released last week has reinforced a "higher-for-longer" Fed rate stance, which provides some support to the Greenback. Traders are pricing in a 41.5% probability that the Fed will raise interest rates by 25 basis points (bps) by year-end, according to the CME FedWatch tool.

The People’s Bank of China (PBOC) on Wednesday left Loan Prime Rates (LPRs) unchanged for the 12th consecutive month in May, in line with market expectations. The one-year and five-year LPRs were at 3.00% and 3.50%, respectively. PBOC's quarterly report suggested that policymakers are in no rush to cut rates, despite lingering softness in economic activity and lending.

PBOC FAQs

What does the People's Bank of China do?

The primary monetary policy objectives of the People's Bank of China (PBoC) are to safeguard price stability, including exchange rate stability, and promote economic growth. China’s central bank also aims to implement financial reforms, such as opening and developing the financial market.

Who owns the PBoC?

The PBoC is owned by the state of the People's Republic of China (PRC), so it is not considered an autonomous institution. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Committee Secretary, nominated by the Chairman of the State Council, has a key influence on the PBoC’s management and direction, not the governor. However, Mr. Pan Gongsheng currently holds both of these posts.

What are the main policy tools used by the PBoC?

Unlike the Western economies, the PBoC uses a broader set of monetary policy instruments to achieve its objectives. The primary tools include a seven-day Reverse Repo Rate (RRR), Medium-term Lending Facility (MLF), foreign exchange interventions and Reserve Requirement Ratio (RRR). However, The Loan Prime Rate (LPR) is China’s benchmark interest rate. Changes to the LPR directly influence the rates that need to be paid in the market for loans and mortgages and the interest paid on savings. By changing the LPR, China’s central bank can also influence the exchange rates of the Chinese Renminbi.

Are private banks allowed in China?

Yes, China has 19 private banks – a small fraction of the financial system. The largest private banks are digital lenders WeBank and MYbank, which are backed by tech giants Tencent and Ant Group, per The Straits Times. In 2014, China allowed domestic lenders fully capitalized by private funds to operate in the state-dominated financial sector.

Author

Lallalit Srijandorn

FXStreet

Lallalit Srijandorn is a Parisian at heart. She has lived in France since 2019 and now becomes a digital entrepreneur based in Paris and Bangkok.

GBP/USD rises above 1.3550 after UK CPI data

GBP/USD preserves its bullish momentum midweek and trades above 1.3550 in the American session. The UK annual Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation picked up to 2.9% in July, meeting estimates, while core CPI rose by 2.6% YoY in July versus 2.5% expected. The Federal Reserve (Fed) will publish the minutes of its July policy meeting later in the day.

EUR/USD climbs to 10-week high above 1.1600 on broad USD weakness

EUR/USD gathers bullish momentum and trades at its highest level since early June above 1.1600 on Wednesday. The US Dollar stays under heavy bearish pressure after the US Treasury announced that it will increase the size of liquidity support buyback operations for longer-dated nominal coupon securities. Later in the day, investors will scrutinize FOMC Minutes for fresh clues on policy outlook.

Gold climbs back above $4,350 as USD remains depressed ahead of FOMC Minutes

Gold climbs back above $4,350 during the first half of the European session, reversing a part of the previous day's heavy losses. The US Dollar attracts some sellers, and for now seems to have stalled this week's goodish recovery from a two-month low, which is seen as a key factor supporting the commodity. Bulls, however, might opt to wait for more cues about the US Federal Reserve's future policy path before placing fresh directional bets on the non-yielding yellow metal.

Crypto Today: Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP defend key support as ETF inflows return

Bitcoin’s upside remains capped on Wednesday while the downside appears strongly supported above $64,000. The Crypto King’s early week rebound lost momentum near $65,000 as investors assessed the impact of geopolitical tensions in the Middle East.

Minutes of the July FOMC meeting serves as one of today’s economic highlights

Bear steepening turned into bear flattening in Europe yesterday. Daily changes on the German yield curve ranged between +2.4 bps (30-yr) and +5 bps (2-yr). EU swap rates added 0.9 bps (30-yr) to 4.5 bps (2-yr). The US/Iran stalemate and higher energy prices offer a first explanation.

Why is Crude Oil priced for a reopening the ships haven't made?

Fourteen vessels crossed the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday. Before the war, the count ran near 120 a day. In the sessions since the waterway was publicly declared open, Brent has drifted back to $87 and West Texas Intermediate (WTI) to $81, both a little lower again on Wednesday, with daily momentum on each unwound from the top of its range in late July to the low twenties now.