XE Morning Update - June 25, 2019

NZDUSD 0.6617 0.4%
NZDEUR 0.5805 0.2%
NZDGBP 0.5193 0.3%
NZDJPY 70.99 0.4%
NZDAUD 0.9505 0.0%
NZDCAD 0.8720 0.1%
GBPNZD 1.9257 -0.3%

The USD lost ground overnight as the interest rate markets moved to fully priced in a 0.25% rate cut by the US Fed on 1st August (NZ time), with a high probability of two follow-up cuts after that. This helped to push the NZDUSD to 3-week highs.

US President Donald Trump announced they will impose new sanctions on Iran in response to the shooting down of an unmanned US drone.

The RBNZ has an ‘Official Cash Rate’ meeting Wednesday. They are expected to hold the OCR steady at 1.50% but pave the way for another 0.25% rate cut on 7th August.

The AUDUSD traded higher after Reserve Bank of Australia Governor Philip Lowe said there are limits to what monetary easing can achieve (diminishing margin returns). In addition, he mentioned the recent RBA rate cut would not be enough to revive economic growth and suggested the Government should increase infrastructure spending to stimulate the economy.

The EURUSD traded to a 3-month high even as data showed that a slump in German business confidence deepened in June.

The GBPUSD touched a 1-month high overnight in relatively subdued trading, while the markets await confirmation on the new British Prime Minister – Eurosceptic Boris Johnson being the front-runner.

NZ Trade Balance for May will be released at 10:45am.

Global equity markets were mixed on the day - Dow +0.1%, S&P 500 -0.1%, FTSE +0.1%, DAX -0.5%, CAC -0.1%, Nikkei +0.1%, Shanghai +0.2%.

Gold prices jumped 1.4% to USD$1,418 an ounce, a level last seen in 2013, on safe-haven demand. WTI Crude Oil prices gained 0.4% to US$57.85 per barrel. The new Iran sanctions news fuelled demand for commodities.

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