DAILY FX WRAP: Commodity currencies are the sessions laggard with USD/CAD reaching 10-year highs while AUD/USD falls below 0.7300 ahead of tomorrow’s RBA rate decision.
Key pairs have seen tight price action on the first trading day of the month, with Eurozone, UK and US Manufacturing PMI failing to have a sustained reaction, while better than expected US Personal Income (0.40% vs. Exp. 0.30%) did see some temporary strength go through the USD, however this failed to sustain, with the USD-index ending the European session relatively flat.
However, commodity currencies have seen more notable price action as USD/CAD broke above the 1.3100 level to trade at its highest level in 10-years amid CAD weakness amid the ongoing commodity weakness, with Brent September 2015 futures today breaking below the USD 51.00 handle. Elsewhere, AUD saw initial weakness after lower than expected Chinese Manufacturing and Caixin Manufacturing PMIs to see AUD/USD break below 0.7300 ahead of the RBA rate decision set to take place tomorrow. Of note the RBA are expected by the majority of surveyed analysts to keep rates on hold at 2%, with just three of the 28 surveyed analysts forecasting a 25bps cut.
Also of note, NZD has seen mild strength today amid new light fundamental news, however this does come ahead of this week’s GlobalDairyTrade Fonterra milk auction, which has recently seen weakness in NZD, with the GDT price index having fallen at every auction since March 3rd.
Looking ahead, as well as the RBA rate decision, tomorrow sees the RBI rate decision, UK construction PMI, Canadian Manufacturing PMI and New Zealand unemployment rate.