NZD/USD declines as US Dollar rises on risk aversion, RBNZ policy
- NZD/USD weakens on Friday as risk aversion supports the US Dollar.
- The RBNZ maintains an accommodative stance, pushing back rate hike expectations.
- Markets await the US February NFP report, which could drive volatility.
NZD/USD trades lower near 0.5870 on Friday, down 0.54% on the day at the time of writing, as the US Dollar strengthens amid geopolitical tensions and investor caution ahead of the upcoming US labor market report.
The New Zealand Dollar (NZD) remains under pressure following the latest policy decision from the Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ), which kept its Official Cash Rate (OCR) unchanged at 2.25% at its February meeting. Governor Anna Breman adopted a cautious tone, indicating that monetary policy is likely to remain accommodative to support the economic recovery. As a result, markets have pushed expectations for the first rate hike back to later in the year.
The Kiwi is also weighed down by rising energy costs. The closure of the Strait of Hormuz amid escalating tensions in the Middle East has pushed Oil prices above $80 per barrel. This development is particularly negative for New Zealand, which relies heavily on imported Oil, adding further downside pressure on the domestic currency.
Meanwhile, the US Dollar (USD) is benefiting from safe-haven demand in the current environment of geopolitical uncertainty. Investors are also positioning ahead of the US Nonfarm Payrolls (NFP) report. Economists expect the US economy to have added around 59K jobs in February, down from 130K in January, while the Unemployment Rate is projected to remain steady at 4.3%.
A stronger-than-expected reading could reinforce expectations that the Federal Reserve (Fed) will keep interest rates higher for longer, potentially providing additional support for the Greenback and keeping NZD/USD under pressure in the near term.
New Zealand Dollar Price Today
The table below shows the percentage change of New Zealand Dollar (NZD) against listed major currencies today. New Zealand Dollar was the strongest against the Euro.
| USD | EUR | GBP | JPY | CAD | AUD | NZD | CHF | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USD | 0.37% | 0.14% | 0.21% | -0.09% | 0.11% | 0.50% | 0.09% | |
| EUR | -0.37% | -0.22% | -0.13% | -0.46% | -0.25% | 0.13% | -0.28% | |
| GBP | -0.14% | 0.22% | 0.06% | -0.24% | -0.03% | 0.36% | -0.06% | |
| JPY | -0.21% | 0.13% | -0.06% | -0.30% | -0.10% | 0.27% | -0.13% | |
| CAD | 0.09% | 0.46% | 0.24% | 0.30% | 0.20% | 0.59% | 0.18% | |
| AUD | -0.11% | 0.25% | 0.03% | 0.10% | -0.20% | 0.38% | 0.02% | |
| NZD | -0.50% | -0.13% | -0.36% | -0.27% | -0.59% | -0.38% | -0.40% | |
| CHF | -0.09% | 0.28% | 0.06% | 0.13% | -0.18% | -0.02% | 0.40% |
The heat map shows percentage changes of major currencies against each other. The base currency is picked from the left column, while the quote currency is picked from the top row. For example, if you pick the New Zealand Dollar from the left column and move along the horizontal line to the US Dollar, the percentage change displayed in the box will represent NZD (base)/USD (quote).