AUD/USD Price Analysis – May 2, 2024
Daily Price Outlook
Despite the weaker-than-expected Trade Balance and Building Permits data, the AUD/USD currency pair maintained its upward rally and remained well bid around the 0.6541 level, hitting the intraday high of 0.6550 level.
However, the reason for its upward trend can be associated with the risk-on market sentiment, which tends to underpin riskier assets like the Australian dollar.
Moreover, the hawkish sentiment surrounding the Reserve Bank of Australia’s (RBA) maintaining higher interest rates was seen as another key factor that kept the AUD/USD pair higher.
On the other side, the US dollar lost some traction following dovish remarks from Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell. Powell dismissed the likelihood of a further rate hike, contributing to pressure on the US dollar and further boosting the AUD/USD currency pair.
Impact of RBA's Hawkish Stance and Economic Data on AUD/USD Pair
On the AUD front, the Australian Dollar is gaining ground because the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) is showing a hawkish attitude, meaning they're inclined to keep interest rates high in 2024. Recent domestic inflation data exceeding expectations has fueled speculation that the RBA might delay any rate cuts. ANZ predicts the RBA could begin reducing rates in November due to the inflation data.
On the data front, Australia's Trade Balance in April showed a surplus of 5,024 million, below the expected increase to 7,370 million from the previous 7,370 million. Building Permits also fell short, rising by 1.9% in March instead of the expected 3.0%. February's reading was -1.9%, indicating a slight improvement in construction activity.
Therefore, the hawkish stance of the RBA, fueled by strong inflation data, supports the AUD. However, weaker-than-expected trade balance and building permits data may slightly dampen the AUD/USD pair's momentum.
Impact of US Federal Reserve's Dovish Stance and Economic Data on AUD/USD Pair
On the US front, the US dollar is facing pressure after Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell's comments following Wednesday's interest rate decision. Powell indicated that there's little chance of another rate hike, adding to the USD's downward pressure. As anticipated, the US Federal Reserve (Fed) chose to keep interest rates steady at 5.25%-5.50% in May.
Powell also noted a slowdown in progress on inflation, suggesting it will take longer than expected for inflation to reach the Fed's 2% target. He mentioned that if strong job growth continues but inflation remains low, it would justify delaying rate hikes.
On the data front, the ADP US Employment Change showed that private businesses added 192,000 workers to their payrolls in April, exceeding the expected increase of 175,000 and the previous month's 208,000.
However, the ISM US Manufacturing PMI dropped to 49.2 in April from March's 50.3, contrary to expectations of remaining steady. This indicates a contraction in the US manufacturing sector, failing to maintain the growth observed in the previous month, which marked the first expansion in 16 months.
Therefore, the dovish stance of the US Federal Reserve and mixed economic data from the US, with strong job growth but a contraction in manufacturing, could support the AUD/USD pair's upward movement.
AUD/USD - Technical Analysis
The Australian Dollar (AUD) against the US Dollar (USD) shows a modest uptick in today's trading session, with a price increase to $0.65449, marking a rise of 0.29%. This positive movement highlights a rebound from previous sessions and positions the currency pair near critical technical levels.
The pivot point for today is set at $0.65167, serving as a baseline for intraday fluctuations. Resistance levels for the AUD/USD are identified at $0.65806, $0.66292, and $0.66878. These are key thresholds where the currency pair might face selling pressure.
On the downside, immediate support lies at $0.64669. Further support levels are established at $0.64110 and $0.63642, which could stabilize price drops.
Technical indicators provide additional insights; the Relative Strength Index (RSI) is currently at 60, indicating a slight tilt towards overbought conditions but still within a normal range. The 50-day Exponential Moving Average (EMA) at $0.65047 supports the bullish sentiment, as it lies below the current price, suggesting an upward trend.
Given these observations, a strategic approach for traders would be to look for entry opportunities above the pivot point. Specifically, initiating a buy above $0.65154 could be prudent, with a take profit target at $0.65811 and a stop loss set at $0.64785 to manage risks effectively.
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