NZ dollar hovers around 65 US cents after Fed, awaiting RBNZ

Thursday 28th January 2016

The New Zealand dollar hovered around 65 US cents after the Federal Reserve kept interest rates on hold as expected and as traders await the Reserve Bank interest rate decision this morning.

The kiwi advanced to 65.18 US cents at 8am in Wellington, from 64.77 cents at 5pm yesterday. It was trading at 65.06 at 8.30am after the Fed's decision was released at 8am New Zealand time.

The Federal Reserve Open Market Committee said it was "closely monitoring" global economic and financial developments, although noted it expected the US labour market would continue to strengthen and the economy would expand even with gradual adjustments in the stance of monetary policy, signalling it was likely to continue to hike rates. In New Zealand, the Reserve Bank is also expected to keep rates on hold at 9am, and traders will be closely eyeing any comments on the outlook for signs of further easing.

"Direction today is in the hands of central bankers," ANZ Bank New Zealand senior economist Sharon Zollner and senior foreign exchange strategist Sam Tuck said in a note. "We expect both banks to have confirmed existing policy stances."

ANZ expects the kiwi to trade between 63.80 US cents and 66.50 cents today.

New Zealand publishes December merchandise trade data at 10.45am.

The local currency gained to 59.84 euro cents from 59.59 cents yesterday, increased to 77.54 yen from 76.49 yen, advanced to 45.68 British pence from 45.16 pence, rose to 4.2792 yuan from 4.2615 yuan. It slipped to 92.05 Australian cents from 92.36 cents yesterday. The trade-weighted index advanced to 71.64 from 71.29 yesterday.

BusinessDesk.co.nz

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