RBA keeps policy steady, higher AUD weighing on outlook for output & employment

Dhwani Mehta FXStreet

The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) at its monetary policy meeting today, left the official cash rate (OCR) unchanged at a record low of 1.50%, as widely expected.

The RBA statement read: “The low level of interest rates is continuing to support the Australian economy. Taking account of the available information, the Board judged that holding the stance of monetary policy unchanged at this meeting would be consistent with sustainable growth in the economy and achieving the inflation target over time.”

With regard to the current level of rates and the value of the Aussie, the RBA added: “The Australian dollar has appreciated over recent months, partly reflecting a lower US dollar. The higher exchange rate is expected to contribute to the subdued price pressures in the economy. It is also weighing on the outlook for output and employment. An appreciating exchange rate would be expected to result in a slower pick-up in economic activity and inflation than currently forecast."

Author

Dhwani Mehta

FXStreet

Residing in Mumbai (India), Dhwani is a Senior Analyst and Manager of the Asian session at FXStreet. She has over 10 years of experience in analyzing and covering the global financial markets, with specialization in Forex and commodities markets.

EUR/USD: Bears retain control below 1.1780-1.1770 confluence breakpoint

The EUR/USD pair remains on the back foot through the Asian session on Friday and currently trades just above mid-1.1700s, well within striking distance of a nearly one-month low set the previous day.

GBP/USD seems vulnerable near one-month low vs. USD as traders await US data

The GBP/USD pair prolongs its weekly downtrend for the fifth consecutive day on Friday and slides back closer to a nearly one-month low, touched the previous day. Spot prices trade below mid-1.3400s during the Asian session on Friday and seem vulnerable to slide further as traders now look to important US macro data for a fresh impetus.

Gold eyes next breakout on US GDP, PCE inflation data

Gold sticks to recent gains around the $5,000-mark early Friday, biding time before the high-impact US macro events. The focus is now on the US fourth-quarter Gross Domestic Product, core Personal Consumption Expenditures Price Index and the Supreme Court’s ruling on President Donald Trump’s tariffs.

Bitcoin, Ethereum and Ripple remain range-bound as breakdown risks rise

Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Ripple are trading sideways within consolidation ranges on Friday, signaling a lack of directional bias in the broader crypto market. BTC rebounded from key support, and ETH is nearing the lower consolidation boundary, while XRP is holding at its lower trendline boundary.

Hawkish Fed minutes and a market finding its footing

It was green across the board for US Stock market indexes at the close on Wednesday, with most S&P 500 names ending higher, adding 38 points (0.6%) to 6,881 overall. At the GICS sector level, energy led gains, followed by technology and consumer discretionary, while utilities and real estate posted the largest losses.

Injective token surges over 13% following the approval of the mainnet upgrade proposal

Injective price rallies over 13% on Thursday after the network confirmed the approval of its IIP-619 proposal. The green light for the mainnet upgrade has boosted traders’ sentiment, as the upgrade aims to scale Injective’s real-time Ethereum Virtual Machine architecture and enhance its capabilities to support next-generation payments.