Home Daily Commentaries NZD staves off break below 0.67 despite a hawkish Fed

NZD staves off break below 0.67 despite a hawkish Fed

Daily Currency Update

The New Zealand dollar advanced into this morning’s open, climbing back toward 0.68 US cents following the Fed monetary policy announcement. Having tracked sideways through the domestic session and the lead in to the days main risk event the NZD gave up supports at 0.6720/30, touching fresh lows at 0.6702 before jumping higher and extending through 0.6750 to mark intraday highs at 0.6780. As expected, the Fed announced an acceleration in the pace of QE tapering, while the majority of policy makers expected to raise interest rates at least 3 times throughout 2022. There were few surprises from the Fed with the market already pricing in three rate hikes, the unknown becomes the known and investors seem comfortable in absorbing a monetary policy tightening. Equities surged higher dragging the NZD with them. A break above resistance at 0.6805 could signal a short-term extension toward 0.6830/0.6850.

Our attentions today turn to Q3 GDP data. With the consensus pointing to a mild contraction following a recent slate of modest lead in indicators, a print near the RBNZ 7% contraction forecast could derail any NZD upside.

Key Movers

Price action across major currencies was muted in the lead up to the Fed policy update with investors content to sideline major bets. As expected, the Fed offered few surprises and while adopting a hawkish tone an undercurrent of uncertainty and caution allowed investors to squeeze positions and chase risk assets higher, winding back the weeks earlier losses. Having touched lows at 1.1230, the euro climbed back to 1.13, while the GBP bounced back through 1.32 to touch intraday highs at 1.3280. The Japanese yen was the days big loser, meeting sustained selling pressure following the resurgence in risk demand while giving up recent gains against the USD amid a widening gap in monetary policy and yield expectations. With the Bank of Japan expected to maintain an uber accommodative policy framework, the Fed’s clear path to normalisation opens the door for another break through 115. The yen’s saving grace remains fluctuations in the risk narrative and with omicron rapidly spreading across the globe there is scope further lockdowns and public health restrictions could dampen optimism for a 2022 global economic recovery.

Our attentions turn now to the ECB and Bank of England. We expect the ECB will announce a plan to reduce the Pandemic Emergency Bond Purchasing Programme, but at the same time announce an increase in its traditional Asset Purchase Programme, maintaining a high degree of stimulus and support. We expect few surprises from the Bank of England with any tightening in monetary policy likely deferred into February 2022.

Expected Ranges

  • NZD/USD: 0.6680 - 0.6830 ▲
  • NZD/EUR: 0.5950 - 0.6090 ▲
  • GBP/NZD: 1.9480 - 1.9720 ▼
  • NZD/AUD: 0.9390 - 0.9520 ▼
  • NZD/CAD: 0.8650 - 0.8750 ▲