The New Zealand dollar slipped against its Australian counterpart after the Reserve Bank of Australia didn't complain about the elevated level of the Aussie yesterday as much as expected, encouraging traders to push it higher.
The kiwi touched a week low of 92.29 Australian cents, and was trading at 92.38 cents at 8am in Wellington from 92.75 cents at 5pm yesterday. The local currency rose to 87.71 US cents from 87.67 cents yesterday after failing to break through 88 cents with a high of 87.91 cents.
The Australian dollar outperformed other major currencies overnight, rising above 95 US cents for the first time since November. Australia's central bank yesterday kept its benchmark interest rate at 2.5 percent as expected but didn't complain about the high level of the currency as much as expected, lamenting that the currency was high by historical standards, particularly given declines in key commodities and was offering less assistance in achieving balanced growth.
"It's essentially them saying the high Aussie dollar is a nuisance. They are not even saying it is a threat or that they are prepared to do anything about it," said Peter Cavanaugh, client adviser at Bancorp Treasury Services. "They have toned down their language a little bit and in the current environment with the global hunt for yield it gave the Australian dollar a boost."
Also underpinning the Aussie, reports on Chinese manufacturing yesterday printed stronger than expected, boosting optimism about exports to the country's largest trading partner.
