Australian Dollar sees mild correction, markets await Australian labor data
- AUD/USD shows a slight decrease on Monday but retains January highs near 0.6800.
- RBA's hawkish stance and potential rate hike add momentum to AUD.
- Australian labor data will dictate the short-term dynamics.
The Australian Dollar (AUD) experienced a mild correction against the USD in Monday's session, declining to 0.6760. After a four-day winning streak, the AUD adjusted its gains albeit the underlying fundamental factors hint at a possible continuation in the upward trend.
The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) despite several signs of economic weakness in the Australian economy, is viewed to be among the last G10 nations' central banks to initiate rate cuts due to stubbornly high inflation, a factor that might limit AUD's downside and extend its gains.
Daily market movers: AUD may gain as labor data may justify the RBA’s hawkish stance
- On the economic data front, investors are focusing on the Australian Employment data for June, which is due for publication on Thursday.
- The report is expected to show that 20K job-seekers were hired against 39.7K onboarded in May.
- The unemployment rate will be on the look and if it remains steady at 4.0%, it would indicate a strong labor market, hence, fuelling expectations of further policy-tightening by the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA).
- According to recent market speculations, there is nearly a 50% chance of a rate hike in either September or November on the RBA's side.
- On the other hand, the market sees more than 80% odds of a September cut by the Federal Reserve, dependent of course on the incoming data. Key speeches by Powell on Monday, and other officials this week will provide more clarity.
Technical Analysis: AUD/USD sustains highs, overbought indicators hint at looming correction
Despite the mild correction on Monday, the AUD/USD maintains a bullish stance, retaining the heights seen since January. Parallelly, the pair climbed by more than 1.5% in July, suggesting a strong upward move. However, the Relative Strength Index (RSI) and the Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) indicate nearing overbought territory and some exhaustion, suggesting a possible correction is on the horizon.
Buyers' target remains to maintain the 0.6760-0.6780 range and possibly surpass the 0.6800 area. Conversely, the 0.6730, 0.6700, and 0.6650 levels are set as the support ranges in case of a correction.
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.