Australian Dollar (AUD) Drops as Employment Slip Points to RBA Slowdown
The Australian Dollar (AUD) fell yesterday as Australia’s latest jobs data pushed AUD lower.
An unexpected fall in employment levels saw investors pare back bets on further interest rate hikes from the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA).
Looking ahead to the remainder of today’s session, market mood could drive the risk-sensitive ‘Aussie’.
New Zealand Dollar (NZD) Slides amid Risk-Off Mood
The New Zealand Dollar (NZD) slumped on Thursday amid a risk-off mood.
NZD’s positive correlation to the Australian Dollar added to downside pressure on the ‘Kiwi’.
The currency could see a boost from December’s PMI figures today. The index is expected to print in positive territory for the first time since October.
Pound (GBP) Firms amid BoE Rate Hike Bets
The Pound (GBP) firmed on Thursday, with bets on further interest rate hikes from the Bank of England (BoE) the chief driver of Sterling’s gains.
GBP saw some losses against its safer peers amid a cautious market mood, however.
A forecast recovery in December’s retail sales could push the Pound higher today if the figures print as forecast.
Euro (EUR) Pushed Higher by Hawkish ECB Rhetoric
The Euro (EUR) was boosted by hawkish signals from the European Central Bank (ECB) on Thursday.
A speech by ECB President Christine Lagarde and the central bank’s latest meeting minutes both signalled further rate hikes.
The Euro may see mixed movements today. A slip in German PPI could weigh on EUR. On the other hand, another potentially hawkish speech from Lagarde could boost the Euro.
US Dollar (USD) Falls as Markets Bet on Softer Fed Rate Hikes
The US Dollar (USD) slipped on Thursday. The safe-haven ‘Greenback’ failed to find support from a risk-off mood as bets on smaller interest rate hikes from the Federal Reserve weighed on USD.
USD’s downturn was cushioned by an unexpected fall in jobless claims, however.
Looking to today, speeches from several Fed policymakers are likely to cause movement in USD.
Canadian Dollar (CAD) Pushed Higher by Oil Price Recovery
The Canadian Dollar (CAD) was bolstered by a rise in crude oil prices yesterday. The commodity recovered from losses earlier in the session.
Looking ahead, a forecast slump in November’s retail sales could see CAD shed some of its gains today.
Data Releases
Jan 20th 07:30 NZD Business PMI (Dec) 51
Jan 20th 09:35 USD Fed Williams Speech
Jan 20th 17:00 EUR German PPI (Dec) -1.2%
Jan 20th 17:00 GBP Retail Sales (Dec) 0.5%
Jan 20th 20:00 EUR ECB President Lagarde Speech
Jan 20th 23:30 CAD Retail Sales (Nov) -0.5%