NZD/USD expected to appreciate gradually – ANZ

FXStreet Insights Team FXStreet

NZD/USD to enjoy a journey of gradual appreciation over the year, economists at ANZ Bank say.

NZD/USD to reach 0.6300 by year-end and 0.6400 by end-2025

Kiwi is still expected to appreciate gradually, taking it to 0.6300 by the end of 2024 and 0.6400 by the end of 2025.

Currency markets have shown themselves to be particularly sensitive to the ebb and flow of policy rate expectations this year, and that has been a source of volatility. While that pattern is likely to persist, a higher OCR is expected to support the Kiwi over the near term.

That said, we remain guarded about the global risk environment, with geopolitical tensions at the fore and the US still sporting the equal-highest cash rate (alongside NZ) across the so-called G10 markets. All that means is that the USD is unlikely to depreciate materially from here; hence our forecast for a milder NZD appreciation.

Author

FXStreet Insights Team

FXStreet

The FXStreet Insights Team is a group of journalists that handpicks selected market observations published by renowned experts. The content includes notes by commercial as well as additional insights by internal and external analysts.

EUR/USD holds firm above 1.1900 as US NFP looms

EUR/USD holds its upbeat momentum above 1.1900 in the European trading hours on Wednesday, helped by a broadly weaker US Dollar. Markets could turn cautious later in the day as the delayed US employment report for January will takes center stage.

GBP/USD remains above nine-day EMA near 1.3650

GBP/USD recovers its recent losses from the previous session, trading around 1.3680 during the European hours on Wednesday. The technical analysis of the daily chart indicates a sustained bullish bias, as the pair trades within an ascending channel pattern.

Gold sticks to gains near $5,050 as focus shifts to US NFP

Gold holds moderate gains near the $5,050 level in the European session on Wednesday, reversing a part of the previous day's modest losses amid dovish US Federal Reserve-inspired US Dollar weakness. This, in turn, is seen as a key factor acting as a tailwind for the non-yielding yellow metal ahead of the critical US NFP release.

US Nonfarm Payrolls expected to show modest job gains in January

The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics will release the delayed Nonfarm Payrolls data for January on Wednesday at 13:30 GMT. Investors expect NFP to rise by 70K following the 50K increase recorded in December.

S&P 500 at 7,000 is a valuation test, not a liquidity problem

The rebound from last week’s drawdown never quite shook the sense that it was being supported by borrowed conviction. The S&P 500 once again tested near the 7,000 level (6,986 as the high watermark) and failed, despite a macro backdrop that would normally be interpreted as supportive of risk.

BNB prolonged correction signals deeper bearish momentum

BNB (BNB), formerly known as Binance Coin, is trading below $618 on Wednesday, marking the sixth consecutive day of correction since the weekend. The bearish price action is further supported by rising short bets alongside negative funding rates in the derivatives market.