NZD/USD looks to build on strong NZ CPI-led gains beyond 0.5700 amid weaker USD

The NZD/USD pair hits a one-and-half-week high during the first half of trading on Tuesday, with bulls now awaiting sustained strength beyond the 0.5700 round-figure mark.

A combination of factors allows the NZD/USD pair to gain strong follow-through traction for the second successive day and recover further from its lowest level since March 2020 touched last week. The New Zealand dollar gets a strong boost from hotter domestic consumer inflation figures, which smashed estimates and lifted bets for a more aggressive rate hike by the RBNZ. Apart from this, the prevalent US dollar selling bias further contributes to the ongoing positive move.

In fact, the USD Index, which measures the greenback's performance against a basket of currencies, drops to over a one-week low amid a softer tone surrounding the US Treasury bond yields. Apart from this, the risk-on impulse exerts additional downward pressure on the safe-haven buck and benefits the risk-sensitive kiwi. With the latest leg up, the NZD/USD pair seems to have confirmed a bullish breakout through the 0.5650 supply zone and seems poised to appreciate further.

That said, a combination of factors might hold back bulls from placing aggressive bets and keep a lid on any meaningful upside. Concerns about the economic headwinds stemming from rapidly rising borrowing costs, geopolitical risks and China's zero-COVID policy could cap the optimistic move in the markets. Furthermore, growing acceptance that the Fed will continue to hike interest rates at a faster pace should act as a tailwind for the USD. This, in turn, warrants caution for bullish traders.

Market participants now look forward to the US economic docket, featuring the release of Industrial Production data and Capacity Utilization Rate later during the early North American session. This, along with the US bond yields and the broader market risk sentiment, will influence the USD price dynamics and provide some impetus to the NZD/USD pair. The focus will then turn to important macro data from China, due for release during the Asian session on Wednesday.

Technical levels to watch