- The Australian Dollar (AUD) is on the move again, extending its losses for the second successive session on Monday. The robust employment figures in the United States (US) bolstered the Greenback on Friday, exerting downward pressure on the AUD/USD pair. Furthermore, worries about deflation in China, coupled with a Consumer Price Index (CPI) and Producer Price Index (PPI) that fell short of expectations, contributed to a selling spree on the Australian Dollar (AUD).
- Australia’s chief policymaker Michele Bullock, the Governor of the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA), is scheduled to deliver a speech on Tuesday. The RBA opted to maintain the cash rate at 4.35% at its December meeting. While the RBA maintains a tightening bias, recent economic indicators suggest a likelihood of no further rate hikes in the near future.
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) revealed on Friday that November’s US Nonfarm Payrolls (NFP) exceeded market forecasts. Simultaneously, the Unemployment Rate saw a decline during the same period. Consequently, there has been an upward surge in US Treasury yields, supporting the strengthening of the USD.
- The stronger employment data have ignited discussions and speculations about the forthcoming path of the US Federal Reserve’s (Fed) monetary policy and the duration for which the central bank intends to uphold rates at restrictive levels. The attention will be on the US Consumer Price Index (CPI) on Tuesday and the Fed Interest Rate Decision on Wednesday.
Daily Digest Market Movers: Australian Dollar moves downward on a negative bias
- Australia’s Trade Balance (MoM) data was released last week and showed a surplus of 7,129M against the expected figures of 7,500M in October.
- China’s Consumer Price Index (CPI) experienced a year-on-year decline of 0.5% in November, compared to a 0.2% decrease in October. On a monthly basis, Chinese inflation fell by 0.5%, surpassing the 0.1% decline observed in October.
- China’s Producer Price Index (PPI) recorded a 3.0% year-on-year drop in November, reflecting a more substantial decline than the 2.6% decrease reported in October.
- US Nonfarm Payrolls for November rose by 199,000 against the previous rise of 150,000 in October and the market expectation of 180,000.
- US Average Hourly Earnings (Year-on-Year) held steady at 4.0%, aligning with market projections for November. Meanwhile, the Unemployment Rate dropped to 3.7% from the previous 3.9%.
- The preliminary Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index for December reached 69.4, a notable increase from the previous reading of 61.3.
Technical Analysis: Australian Dollar looks to reach the major level at 0.6550
The Australian Dollar trades lower around 0.6560 on Monday. The 21-day Exponential Moving Average (EMA) at 0.6553 could act as a key support,
