Market Insight – Foreign Exchange – Kiwi strength to fade on further easing
Optimistic Wheeler supports NZD
Last week Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) governor, Graeme Wheeler, struck a surprisingly optimistic tone at the bank’s monetary policy meeting, holding off on any further rate cuts and painting a far better picture of the global economy and the domestic inflationary outlook than three months ago. The improved tone of the meeting and decision to maintain the status quo boosted the NZD on the day and contributed to a wider 3.8% rally experienced since the start of June (on a trade weighted basis). Recent NZD strength can be attributed to the relatively high interest rate that New Zealand offers when compared with developed market counterparts, as foreign central banks maintain ultra-loose monetary policy measures in the face of subdued inflationary pressures. Currency strength has potential to neutralise the impact of low interest rates on improvements in domestic inflation which could force the RBNZ to pursue a more aggressive easing path than currently assumed.
Risks to RBNZ projections
In its second monetary policy statement of the year, the RBNZ presented a risk scenario in which a stronger NZD weighs on inflation by making imports cheaper and consumers more prone to switching away from domestically produced goods and services to imports. In such an event, the RBNZ assumes that more aggressive cuts to interest rates will be needed to ensure inflation settles around the 2% level in the medium term. This risk may already be in play, with the current trade weighted level of the NZD 3.9% higher than assumed the RBNZ’s scenario analysis (see Figure 1). Should recent NZD strength be reflected in weak Q2 inflation data scheduled for release on the 17th July, then the NZD may come under pressure against the US Dollar, where core inflationary pressures and rate prospects are improving.
NZD/USD to face resistance
The NZD/USD exchange rate is trading at the highest levels for the past twelve months, but has struggled to sustain an increase beyond the 0.71 level that it reached on the day of the RBNZ meeting (9th June). Going forward, should the NZD/USD test this level again there is potential for it to run into some resistance.
*All figures quoted are sourced from Bloomberg unless stated otherwise.
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