The New Zealand dollar fell to a month-low versus the euro after a European Central Bank board member backed action to help lower borrowing cost for struggling euro-zone nation's, which boosted optimism the sovereign debt crisis will be contained.
The New Zealand dollar fell as low as 64.93 euro cents in the Northern Hemisphere session, the lowest since July 23. It traded at 65 cents at 8am down from 65.58 cents at 5pm yesterday. The kiwi was little changed at 81.04 US cents from 81.06 cents yesterday, while the trade-weighted index dropped to 72.89 from 73.06.
The euro hit a six-week high US$1.2488 after ECB board member, Joerg Asmussen, who is reported to be close to German Chancellor Angela Merkel, signalled support for a plan where the central bank would buy of Spanish and Italian debt in a bid to shore up the region's more heavily indebted nations.
Central bank policymakers aren't scheduled to meet until September, when it's expected they'll announce the limits on government bond yields to help contain the region's debt crisis.
"There is more downside in the kiwi/euro cross," said Mike Jones, market strategist at Bank of New Zealand. "These moves by the ECB are being regarded as game changers by the market."