NZD/USD: consolidation pending new drivers
Current trend
The New Zealand dollar shows ambiguous dynamics of trading against the US dollar during today's Asian session, consolidating near the opening levels and 0.6835. NZD/USD fell sharply on Friday, recording its first fall in four weeks. Investors' fears about a series of aggressive interest rate hikes by the US Federal Reserve, as well as changing commodity prices were the catalysts for the sales of the currency. In addition, the negative dynamics of the instrument was provoked by a reduction in the spread between government bonds of New Zealand and the United States. 10-year New Zealand Treasury bonds at the end of last week showed a yield of 3.274%, and 10-year US bonds showed 2.740%.
The pressure on NZD/USD is exerted by weak macroeconomic statistics from New Zealand. Electronic Card Retail Sales in March decreased by 1.3% after a sharp decline of 7.8% a month earlier. Analysts had expected negative dynamics to remain at -0.6%. In annual terms, sales decreased by 0.5% after rising by 1.1% in February. Markets projected a sharp 9.7% growth. Later, buying activity on the instrument was supported by encouraging statistics from China. The Consumer Price Index in China in March showed an increase of 1.5%, accelerating from 0.9% shown in February. The real dynamics turned out to be noticeably better than analysts' forecasts at 1.2%.
Another "bullish" factor is the new EU sanctions policy on the Russian economy. In particular, New Zealand coal exporters positively perceived the possibility of introducing restrictions on the supply of solid fuel from the Russian Federation this summer. Currently, New Zealand exports more than a third of all coal mined in the country.
Support and resistance
On the D1 chart Bollinger Bands are reversing into the descending plane. The price range is expanding but it fails to conform to the surge of "bearish" activity at the moment. MACD is going down preserving a stable sell signal (located below the signal line). The indicator is about to test the zero level for a breakdown. Stochastic, having reached its lows, reversed into the horizontal plane, indicating risks of oversold NZD in the ultra-short term.
Resistance levels: 0.6874, 0.6924, 0.6960, 0.7000.
Support levels: 0.6812, 0.6766, 0.6732, 0.6700.
The New Zealand dollar shows ambiguous dynamics of trading against the US dollar during today's Asian session, consolidating near the opening levels and 0.6835. NZD/USD fell sharply on Friday, recording its first fall in four weeks. Investors' fears about a series of aggressive interest rate hikes by the US Federal Reserve, as well as changing commodity prices were the catalysts for the sales of the currency. In addition, the negative dynamics of the instrument was provoked by a reduction in the spread between government bonds of New Zealand and the United States. 10-year New Zealand Treasury bonds at the end of last week showed a yield of 3.274%, and 10-year US bonds showed 2.740%.
The pressure on NZD/USD is exerted by weak macroeconomic statistics from New Zealand. Electronic Card Retail Sales in March decreased by 1.3% after a sharp decline of 7.8% a month earlier. Analysts had expected negative dynamics to remain at -0.6%. In annual terms, sales decreased by 0.5% after rising by 1.1% in February. Markets projected a sharp 9.7% growth. Later, buying activity on the instrument was supported by encouraging statistics from China. The Consumer Price Index in China in March showed an increase of 1.5%, accelerating from 0.9% shown in February. The real dynamics turned out to be noticeably better than analysts' forecasts at 1.2%.
Another "bullish" factor is the new EU sanctions policy on the Russian economy. In particular, New Zealand coal exporters positively perceived the possibility of introducing restrictions on the supply of solid fuel from the Russian Federation this summer. Currently, New Zealand exports more than a third of all coal mined in the country.
Support and resistance
On the D1 chart Bollinger Bands are reversing into the descending plane. The price range is expanding but it fails to conform to the surge of "bearish" activity at the moment. MACD is going down preserving a stable sell signal (located below the signal line). The indicator is about to test the zero level for a breakdown. Stochastic, having reached its lows, reversed into the horizontal plane, indicating risks of oversold NZD in the ultra-short term.
Resistance levels: 0.6874, 0.6924, 0.6960, 0.7000.
Support levels: 0.6812, 0.6766, 0.6732, 0.6700.