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Australian Dollar Gains Ground as US Dollar Weakens Ahead of Key Inflation Data
AUD/USD Currencies

Australian Dollar Gains Ground as US Dollar Weakens Ahead of Key Inflation Data

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  • January 15, 2025
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The strength gained recently by the Australian Dollar was partly driven by improved market sentiment, broad China trade data, and rising commodity prices. An additional factor for the AUD is the stabilizing momentum as created by Beijing regarding stabilizing the Yuan. On the contrary side, the US Dollar has declined following the December Producer Price Index that came way worse than expected. Thus, as a result of this, traders are now focusing on upcoming US inflation data regarding future market trends. Key Lookouts Consumer confidence in Australia’s Westpac Consumer Confidence Index slid by 0.7% in January. This continued the trend of pessimism, in part a response to the loss of AUD in value relative to the USD. Market pricing suggests a 67% probability of the RBA cutting the cash rate by 25 basis points in February, with cuts through to April. US NFP data reported an increase of 256K jobs in December; it was better than expected but did not produce the desired result as the mixed reaction in markets indicated. Here are the key developments influencing the Australian Dollar and US Dollar dynamics in the current market environment: Consumer confidence remains one concern in Australia. The Westpac Consumer Confidence Index fell by 0.7% in January, indicating that Australian households remain pessimistic. The decline in confidence is partly due to the depreciation of the AUD against the USD, which has caused concerns about the cost of living and economic conditions. Consequently, markets are factoring in a 67% chance of the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) to cut interest rates by 25 basis points in February and expect more cuts in April to sustain the economic activity. AUD/USD Daily Price Chart Source: TradingView, prepared by Jacob Although there have been difficulties for the consumer sentiment in Australia, risk sentiment from other parts of the world has given some boost to the AUD. Strong trade data from China and rising commodity prices have helped boost the outlook for Australia’s economy, which is heavily reliant on exports. Moreover, Beijing’s efforts to stabilize the Yuan have contributed to a more favorable environment for risk-sensitive currencies like the AUD. With positive global factors at play, the Australian Dollar is likely to remain supported but its movement would be largely related to the future economic data released from Australia as well as from the US. Technical Analysis The AUD/USD pair is still trading within a descending channel on the daily chart, at around 0.6190. The immediate resistance is found at the 9-day EMA at 0.6193, then at the 14-day EMA at 0.6207. The next resistance is seen near the upper boundary of the descending channel, at around 0.6220. Support may be tested near the lower boundary of the channel, at around 0.5940, if the bearish momentum continues. Support and Resistance Forecast Support for the AUD/USD remains at 0.5940, which aligns with the lower boundary of the descending channel. If this level is unable to hold as support, it may open a way for even more downside action, potentially moving towards 0.5900. A violation below 0.5940 would be very bearish in nature and allow for a breakdown to even weaker levels in the short term.The key resistance for the AUD/USD pair will be at 0.6193, with the 9-day Exponential Moving Average placed there, and at 0.6207, marked by the 14-day EMA. If the pair breaks above this level, it could test the upper boundary of the descending channel around 0.6220. A strong move beyond 0.6220 could signify a change in momentum, sending the pair further up to resistance zones around 0.6250 or 0.6300.

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Currencies EUR/USD

EURUSD Bounces Back to the Highs of Almost 1.0550 After a Dive from New Yearly Lows

EURUSD Bounces Back to the Highs of Almost 1.0550 After a Dive from New Yearly Lows EUR/USD erased substantial losses after a run of five consecutive negatives, bouncing to the areas around 1.0540 during Asian trading on Friday. This followed the US Dollar Index (DXY) taking its first retreats from the newest yearly high reached at 107.06. Both dovish comments by Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell and mixed US economics data influenced the move. Despite the strength in Euro, the European Central Bank still remains cautious on the economic outlook, leaving its future movements toward the pair subject to developments both in the US and the Eurozone. EUR/USD’s Recent Rebound and the Pullback in the US Dollar The currency pair EUR/USD recovered some of the losses because of a correction within the US Dollar. As the US Dollar Index (DXY) had skyrocketed to 107.06 for the year, the reversal in this upward trend for the greenback, as well as its corresponding reversal for the Euro itself, contributed to a modest rebound for the Euro, and EUR/USD advanced toward 1.0540. US Dollar Pulls Back Some of the factors behind the U.S. Dollar’s pullback have been the slowdown of so-called “Trump trades,” that had been helping the dollar out in the first half of the year. These trades-tied very closely to expectations surrounding economic policies from the previous U.S. administration-have started to lose some of their momentum as market sentiment shifts. Simultaneously, comments from Fed Chair Jerome Powell regarding the US economy lighten the tone of the US Dollar. Powell described the US economic performance as “remarkably good, thus giving Federal Reserve some leniency to slowly trim its interest rates. Contrastively, such rhetoric is diametrically opposed to the more hawkish tone that had prevailed in communications until now by the Fed, thus questioning a change in policy that should continue to weaken the Dollar at least in the short term. Mixed US Economic Data Powell’s comments came simultaneously with the release of US PPI numbers. The PPI index increased 2.4% year-over-year in October, beating the revised 1.9% of September and more than the market’s expectations of 2.3%. Meanwhile, the Core PPI for the month rose 3.1% YoY from 3.0% expectation, which eliminates food and energy prices. Although the data showed inflationary pressures were on the rise, which would play into the hands of the USD in the long run, the immediate reaction was tame because attention shifted to Powell’s more dovish talk over interest rates.The convergence of these factors saw DXY pull back, falling to around 106.80 at time of writing, providing some respite to the Euro and pushing EUR/USD higher from recent lows. EUR/USD Daily Chart Source: TradingView, by Richard Miles ECB in a Catch 22 Situation: How to Cut Rates while Tackling Inflation Though the Euro has gained a few percent against the US Dollar, European Central Bank ECB is now caught between the politics of rate cuts, and home-grown inflationary concerns. Home-grown inflationary pressures-the central issue for ECB officials-arise from the boost in wages. ECB is emphasizing more on cutting of interest rates. Showing an increased receptivity to cut rates, the central bank at the monetary policy meeting in October signaled that it was indeed turning its ears to the calls of the reducing economy. This news marks a change in tone especially since the growth fell way slower than expected, and equally, inflation data in the Eurozone remains weak. For Isabel Schnabel, an ECB board member, interest rates remain the prime instrument for policy changes but the secondary adding instruments are buys on bonds and forward guidance. While the ECB is paying increasing attention to cuts in rates, it has been quite cautious in taking concrete steps for some time now because the inflationary pressures continue unabated in the Eurozone. With hard-striving increases in wages coupled with the growth in labor productivity lagging behind, the raised fears of a wage-price spiral – where the increase in wages leads to higher prices that trigger even more wage increase in a spiral ride – belie this potential outcome working adversely for the ECB’s desired goal of putting inflation back on track. ECB Cautious on Inflationary Pressures The ECB is more sensitive to the realization that an early policy response, in this case, even some rate cuts, will mean high inflationary pressures. The central bank has thus indicated a need for more data before doing significant policy changes. The situation remains fluid, and the ECB is likely to continue monitoring the economic and inflationary landscape very carefully before making its next move. Meanwhile, the Eurozone is likely to continue struggling to find elusive momentum in growth. Most analysts think it will slow down in 2025. Cut in rates by the ECB would weaken the Euro further though the timing and full quantum of cut are still unclear. Key Economic Data to Watch The movements of the EUR/USD pair are likely to be sensitive to these upcoming data releases, especially from both the US and the Eurozone. Here are some of the key economic events and indicators to monitor in the coming days: US Economic Data US Retail Sales (October): Details about US retail sales may help explain the soundness of the US consumer-the very pulse of the whole economy. Better-than-expected retail sales can also be an additional strength for the US dollar if it translates to continued demand despite higher inflation. US CPI (Consumer Price Index): The main ‘event’ in the Dollar’s line-up will be the release of the US CPI report. In case inflation remains at these levels or even increases further, then this might lead to ideas about the Fed rate policy turnaround and hence a boost for the USD. Eurozone Economic Data Eurozone GDP Growth (Q3): The GDP data for the Eurozone will say much about its general health. Weaker growth than expected would only raise more concerns regarding the Euro outlook, while stronger growth could support the Euro in the short term.Eurozone CPI (Oct): Eurozone inflation

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