Australian Dollar Gains Despite Weak US Dollar

The Australian Dollar (AUD) extended its recent gains on Monday, maintaining its position around the three-week peak of 0.6560. This upward trend began on April 22, largely driven by increasing hawkish expectations for the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) following last week’s higher-than-expected CPI inflation data.

Warren Hogan, the chief economic adviser at Judo Bank, speculated in the Australian Financial Review that the RBA might increase the cash rate three times in 2024, potentially reaching a rate of 5.1%. The first of these hikes is anticipated as early as August. This forecast has fueled investor interest ahead of the release of the March Retail Sales data on Tuesday. This report is keenly watched as it offers insights into consumer spending patterns in Australia, which are crucial indicators of inflation trends and overall economic health.

In contrast, the US Dollar Index (DXY), which tracks the USD against six major currencies, has seen some recent pullback, perhaps indicating a shift toward a risk-on market sentiment. Despite this, it is widely expected that the US Federal Reserve will hold interest rates steady at 5.25%–5.5% in its next announcement on Wednesday. This caution is likely due to persistent concerns about high inflation levels.

Recent data supports the Fed’s cautious stance, with the CME FedWatch Tool now showing an 87.7% probability that rates will remain unchanged at the Fed’s June meeting, an increase from 81.7% just last week. Additionally, the latest US Core Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) Price Index for March revealed a slight increase year-over-year. This uptick supports the idea that the Fed might postpone any rate cuts until at least September, aligning with current market expectations.

Overall, the contrasting monetary policy outlooks for the RBA and the Fed are creating an interesting dynamic for the AUD/USD exchange rate. As investors digest the implications of fiscal policy decisions and economic indicators from both the US and Australia, the AUD appears to be benefiting from a more aggressive rate hike path anticipated by the RBA, contrasting with a more cautious approach from the Fed amid ongoing inflation concerns.