AUD/USD declines from two-week high around 0.6300, US CPI in focus
- AUD/USD falls to near 0.6270 as the Australian Dollar weakens on RBA dovish bets and potential US-China trade war.
- Investors await the US inflation data, which will influence the Fed’s interest rate outlook.
- Fed Powell said on Tuesday that there is no rush for interest rate cuts.
The AUD/USD pair faces sharp selling pressure after failing to break above the key resistance level of 0.6300 in Wednesday’s European session. The Aussie pair is down 0.26% to near 0.6270, while the US Dollar Index (DXY) is broadly sideways around 108.00, at the press time. Such a scenario indicates significant weakness in the Australian Dollar (AUD).
Australian Dollar PRICE Today
The table below shows the percentage change of Australian Dollar (AUD) against listed major currencies today. Australian Dollar was the strongest against the Japanese Yen.
| USD | EUR | GBP | JPY | CAD | AUD | NZD | CHF | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USD | -0.10% | 0.00% | 0.69% | 0.16% | 0.34% | 0.35% | -0.27% | |
| EUR | 0.10% | 0.11% | 0.78% | 0.26% | 0.44% | 0.46% | -0.16% | |
| GBP | -0.01% | -0.11% | 0.67% | 0.16% | 0.33% | 0.35% | -0.27% | |
| JPY | -0.69% | -0.78% | -0.67% | -0.53% | -0.34% | -0.34% | -0.95% | |
| CAD | -0.16% | -0.26% | -0.16% | 0.53% | 0.19% | 0.19% | -0.43% | |
| AUD | -0.34% | -0.44% | -0.33% | 0.34% | -0.19% | 0.02% | -0.61% | |
| NZD | -0.35% | -0.46% | -0.35% | 0.34% | -0.19% | -0.02% | -0.62% | |
| CHF | 0.27% | 0.16% | 0.27% | 0.95% | 0.43% | 0.61% | 0.62% |
The heat map shows percentage changes of major currencies against each other. The base currency is picked from the left column, while the quote currency is picked from the top row. For example, if you pick the Australian Dollar from the left column and move along the horizontal line to the US Dollar, the percentage change displayed in the box will represent AUD (base)/USD (quote).
The antipodean falls sharply amid firm expectations that the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) will reduce interest rates next week. This would be the first interest rate cut by the RBA since 2020. Dovish RBA bets are based on a significant decline in Australian inflation, which decelerated to 2.4% in the fourth quarter of 2024.
Meanwhile, deepening fears of a potential trade war between the United States (US) and China also weighed on the Australian Dollar, being a liquid proxy of the Chinese Yuan (CNY). Last week, China retaliated against 10% tariffs from Donald Trump by imposing 15% levies on coal and Liquified Natural Gas (LNG), and 10% for crude oil, farm equipment and some autos.
On the US front, investors await the Consumer Price Index (CPI) data for January, which will be published at 13:30 GMT. The inflation data is expected to influence market speculation for the Federal Reserve’s (Fed) monetary policy outlook. Fed Chair Jerome Powell said on Tuesday in the two-day testimony before Congress that the central bank can “ease policy if labor market unexpectedly weakens or inflation falls more quickly than expected".
Economists expect the annual core CPI – which excludes volatile food and energy prices – to have grown at a slower pace of 3.1%, compared to 3.2% increase in December, with the headline inflation rising steadily by 2.9%.
Australian Dollar FAQs
One of the most significant factors for the Australian Dollar (AUD) is the level of interest rates set by the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA). Because Australia is a resource-rich country another key driver is the price of its biggest export, Iron Ore. The health of the Chinese economy, its largest trading partner, is a factor, as well as inflation in Australia, its growth rate and Trade Balance. Market sentiment – whether investors are taking on more risky assets (risk-on) or seeking safe-havens (risk-off) – is also a factor, with risk-on positive for AUD.
The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) influences the Australian Dollar (AUD) by setting the level of interest rates that Australian banks can lend to each other. This influences the level of interest rates in the economy as a whole. The main goal of the RBA is to maintain a stable inflation rate of 2-3% by adjusting interest rates up or down. Relatively high interest rates compared to other major central banks support the AUD, and the opposite for relatively low. The RBA can also use quantitative easing and tightening to influence credit conditions, with the former AUD-negative and the latter AUD-positive.
China is Australia’s largest trading partner so the health of the Chinese economy is a major influence on the value of the Australian Dollar (AUD). When the Chinese economy is doing well it purchases more raw materials, goods and services from Australia, lifting demand for the AUD, and pushing up its value. The opposite is the case when the Chinese economy is not growing as fast as expected. Positive or negative surprises in Chinese growth data, therefore, often have a direct impact on the Australian Dollar and its pairs.
Iron Ore is Australia’s largest export, accounting for $118 billion a year according to data from 2021, with China as its primary destination. The price of Iron Ore, therefore, can be a driver of the Australian Dollar. Generally, if the price of Iron Ore rises, AUD also goes up, as aggregate demand for the currency increases. The opposite is the case if the price of Iron Ore falls. Higher Iron Ore prices also tend to result in a greater likelihood of a positive Trade Balance for Australia, which is also positive of the AUD.
The Trade Balance, which is the difference between what a country earns from its exports versus what it pays for its imports, is another factor that can influence the value of the Australian Dollar. If Australia produces highly sought after exports, then its currency will gain in value purely from the surplus demand created from foreign buyers seeking to purchase its exports versus what it spends to purchase imports. Therefore, a positive net Trade Balance strengthens the AUD, with the opposite effect if the Trade Balance is negative.
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