Australian Dollar (AUD) Volatile amid Market Turbulence
The Australian Dollar (AUD) faced headwinds on Thursday amid China’s ongoing Covid-19 surge. As cases soar, AUD investors are growing concerned about the impact it may have on the Australian economy, which is closely linked with China.
A mostly risk-on mood and an uptick in key commodity prices helped limit AUD’s losses, however, while volatility surrounding the US inflation rate release caused turbulence for the currency.
Chinese trade data could impact the ‘Aussie’ today. If the latest balance of trade report indicates a further slowdown in Chinese trade, AUD could stumble.
New Zealand Dollar (NZD) Fluctuates in Tandem with AUD
The New Zealand Dollar (NZD) also experienced some erratic trade yesterday, as the volatile market mood impacted the risk-sensitive ‘Kiwi’.
Amid the turbulence, NZD traded true to its positive correlation with AUD.
With no data releases today, NZD is likely to be affected by any changes in risk appetite.
Pound (GBP) Drops as Markets Pare Back BoE Rate Hike Bets
The Pound (GBP) slipped on Thursday amid the UK’s consistently downbeat outlook.
As the UK’s economic future darkens, markets are further scaling back interest rate hike bets from the Bank of England (BoE), which added to GBP’s downturn.
Investors will be keenly awaiting the latest GDP figures for the UK today. November’s data is forecast to indicate a contraction in the UK economy, which could cause Sterling to fall.
Euro (EUR) Boosted by Hawkish ECB Expectations
The Euro (EUR) climbed yesterday as markets began to expect a narrowing of policy divergence between the European Central Bank (ECB) and its global counterparts.
Following hawkish ECB comments this week and a large cooldown in US inflation, investors now expect the ECB to keep raising interest rates while the BoE and the Fed may soon pause.
A slowdown in Germany’s economic expansion could weigh on EUR if today’s 2022 GDP figures print as forecast.
US Dollar (USD) Rattled by Inflation Figures
The US Dollar (USD) was volatile on Thursday after December’s inflation cooled to 6.5%, down from 7.1% in November. USD initially slumped before bouncing back and then wavering lower.
Cushioning USD’s fall were the latest jobless claims figures, as falling claims pointed to a still-tight labour market.
Looking ahead, the US Dollar could find support from consumer sentiment figures overnight. January’s figures are expected to tick higher.
Canadian Dollar (CAD) Wavers Lower on USD Correlation
The Canadian Dollar (CAD) traded true to its positive correlation with USD yesterday, fluctuating lower following the American CPI release. Rising oil prices helped limit losses for the crude-linked ‘Loonie’.
With no data releases for CAD today, the Canadian Dollar is likely to be affected by any big shifts in oil prices.
Data Releases
Jan 13th 17:00 GBP GDP (Nov) -0.2%
Jan 13th 19:00 EUR German Full Year GDP Growth (2022) 1.8%
Jan 13th 20:00 EUR Balance of Trade (Nov) €-21.1bn
Jan 13th 20:00 EUR Industrial Production (Nov) 0.5%
Jan 14th 01:00 USD Michigan Consumer Sentiment (Jan) 60.5