NZD/USD has failed to sustain the upside above 0.5800. While below 0.6010/0.6060, the downtrend is set to persist, economists at Société Générale report.
“NZD/USD recently formed an interim low near the lower limit of a multi-month down sloping channel at 0.5565 which is also a trend line drawn since 2009.”
“An initial bounce is taking shape; the 50 DMA near 0.6010/0.6060 which is also the low of July is expected to be an important hurdle near-term. Failure to overcome this resistance can lead to continuation in downtrend towards last month trough of 0.5565 and 2020 levels of 0.5495/0.5470.”
Unlike the RBA yesterday, the Reserve Bank of New Zealand met expectations by raising its key rate by 50 points to 3.5%. Having started raising the rate a year ago, the RBNZ accelerated the move from 25 to 50 points in April, bringing it to the cyclical highs of 2014-15.
The Reserve Bank cites too high core inflation (without food and energy) and labor shortages as reasons for further rate hikes. And here, it is worth remembering that at its peak in 2007/08, New Zealand's key rate reached 8.25%, and cyclical lows in 2002 and 2003 were 4.75% and 5.00%, respectively. In other words, the New Zealand economy is more suited to high rates than many.