AUD/USD jumps to near 0.6570 as RBA needs confidence over inflation cooling down
- AUD/USD advances to near 0.6570 as the Australian Dollar performs strongly.
- RBA officials need time to gain confidence that inflation will sustainably return to the 2.5% target.
- US President Trump has revealed tariff rates for 21 nations yet.
The AUD/USD climbs to near 0.6570 during the European trading session on Thursday. The Aussie pair continues to perform strongly from Tuesday when the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) surprisingly kept interest rates steady at 3.85%, citing officials need confidence that inflationary pressures are on the 2.5% path.
Australian Dollar PRICE This week
The table below shows the percentage change of Australian Dollar (AUD) against listed major currencies this week. Australian Dollar was the strongest against the Japanese Yen.
| USD | EUR | GBP | JPY | CAD | AUD | NZD | CHF | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USD | 0.46% | 0.39% | 1.37% | 0.58% | -0.07% | 0.63% | 0.15% | |
| EUR | -0.46% | -0.05% | 0.69% | 0.11% | -0.46% | 0.16% | -0.32% | |
| GBP | -0.39% | 0.05% | 0.70% | 0.18% | -0.39% | 0.22% | -0.39% | |
| JPY | -1.37% | -0.69% | -0.70% | -0.54% | -1.21% | -0.51% | -1.15% | |
| CAD | -0.58% | -0.11% | -0.18% | 0.54% | -0.63% | 0.04% | -0.57% | |
| AUD | 0.07% | 0.46% | 0.39% | 1.21% | 0.63% | 0.72% | 0.01% | |
| NZD | -0.63% | -0.16% | -0.22% | 0.51% | -0.04% | -0.72% | -0.59% | |
| CHF | -0.15% | 0.32% | 0.39% | 1.15% | 0.57% | -0.01% | 0.59% |
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 Australian Dollar from the left column and move along the horizontal line to the US Dollar, the percentage change displayed in the box will represent AUD (base)/USD (quote).
"The Board judged that it could wait for a little more information to confirm that inflation remains on track to reach 2.5% on a sustainable basis," the board said in a statement, Reuters reported.
The unexpected move to hold interest rates steady by the RBA led to a sharp upside move in the Australian Dollar. Economists had priced in 25 basis points (bps) interest rate reduction.
On global risk, the RBA stated that the “monetary policy is well-placed to international developments if they were to have material implications for activity and inflation in Australia".
Meanwhile, the July 8-9 Reuters poll showed that all respondents have forecasted that the RBA will reduce its Official Cash Rate (OCR) in May.
On the US Dollar (USD) front, investors seek fresh headlines regarding the current status of trade negotiations between the United States (US) and its trading partners. So far, the US has closed trade agreement with the United Kingdom (UK) and Vietnam and a limited pact with China. US President Donald Trump has sent letters to 21 nations, specifying reciprocal tariff rates, notable Japan and South Korea, which are key importers of Washington.
US Dollar FAQs
The US Dollar (USD) is the official currency of the United States of America, and the ‘de facto’ currency of a significant number of other countries where it is found in circulation alongside local notes. It is the most heavily traded currency in the world, accounting for over 88% of all global foreign exchange turnover, or an average of $6.6 trillion in transactions per day, according to data from 2022. Following the second world war, the USD took over from the British Pound as the world’s reserve currency. For most of its history, the US Dollar was backed by Gold, until the Bretton Woods Agreement in 1971 when the Gold Standard went away.
The most important single factor impacting on the value of the US Dollar is monetary policy, which is shaped by the Federal Reserve (Fed). The Fed has two mandates: to achieve price stability (control inflation) and foster full employment. Its primary tool to achieve these two goals is by adjusting interest rates. When prices are rising too quickly and inflation is above the Fed’s 2% target, the Fed will raise rates, which helps the USD value. When inflation falls below 2% or the Unemployment Rate is too high, the Fed may lower interest rates, which weighs on the Greenback.
In extreme situations, the Federal Reserve can also print more Dollars and enact quantitative easing (QE). QE is the process by which the Fed substantially increases the flow of credit in a stuck financial system. It is a non-standard policy measure used when credit has dried up because banks will not lend to each other (out of the fear of counterparty default). It is a last resort when simply lowering interest rates is unlikely to achieve the necessary result. It was the Fed’s weapon of choice to combat the credit crunch that occurred during the Great Financial Crisis in 2008. It involves the Fed printing more Dollars and using them to buy US government bonds predominantly from financial institutions. QE usually leads to a weaker US Dollar.
Quantitative tightening (QT) is the reverse process whereby the Federal Reserve stops buying bonds from financial institutions and does not reinvest the principal from the bonds it holds maturing in new purchases. It is usually positive for the US Dollar.