Factors putting pressure on the NZD/USD include rising U.S. rates, geopolitical tensions, a drop in investor sentiment and falling commodity prices.
The New Zealand Dollar is edging lower against its U.S. counterpart on Friday as it continues to struggle to gain traction despite expectations of another interest rate hike by the Reserve Bank (RBNZ) next month.
One problem is the hawkish U.S. Federal Reserve’s monetary policy. Even after last Wednesday’s super-sized 75 basis point rate hike, policymakers vowed to remain aggressive until inflation is under control.
Meanwhile the RBNZ is expected to boost its Official Cash Rate (OCR) by “only” 50 basis points at its October policy meeting. A smaller rate hike by RBNZ than the U.S. Federal Reserve will further tighten the interest rate differential between government bonds, making the greenback a more desirable currency than the Kiwi.
At 05:30 GMT, the NZD/USD is trading .5834, down 0.0011 or -0.19%.
Other factors putting pressure on the NZD/USD are geopolitical tensions, a drop in investor sentiment and falling commodity prices.
Additionally, while inflation is also a concern for New Zealand’s central bank, Deputy Reserve Bank Governor Christian Hawkesby said they have “growing confidence” that inflation will be significantly lower than it is at the moment” over 12 to 18 months.
Westpac senior economist Satish Ranchhod also sees inflation easing, however, at a slow pace. Inflation is “probably going to ease back over the coming months”, but the weaker New Zealand Dollar means “that decline is going to be much more gradual”.
The main trend is down according to the daily swing chart. A trade through .5804 will signal a resumption of the downtrend. A move through .6162 will change the main trend to up.
The minor trend is also down. A trade through .6002 will change the minor trend to up. This will also shift momentum to the upside.
The nearest resistance is a pivot at .5915, followed by a second pivot at .5983.
Trader reaction to .5846 is likely to determine the direction of the NZD/USD on Friday.
A sustained move under .5846 will indicate the presence of sellers. This could trigger a break into the 2-1/2 year low at .5804. Taking out this level could trigger a resumption of the move into the March 19, 2020 main bottom at .5469.
A sustained move over .5846 will signal the presence of counter-trend buyers. If this creates enough upside momentum then look for a labored rally into the first pivot at .5915, followed by the second pivot at .5983.
James Hyerczyk is a U.S. based seasoned technical analyst and educator with over 40 years of experience in market analysis and trading, specializing in chart patterns and price movement. He is the author of two books on technical analysis and has a background in both futures and stock markets.