The New Zealand dollar gained as traders pondered the risks associated with the US election next week and awaited key data including employment, the survey of expectations and US non-farm payrolls.
The kiwi traded at 71.51 US cents as at 5pm in Wellington after reaching as high as 71.67 cents in late New York trading and from 71.36 cents in Asia at the end of last week. The trade-weighted index was little changed at 77.07.
The greenback weakened on Friday after the Federal Bureau of Investigation said it was investigating more emails as part of a probe into Hillary Clinton's use of a private email system, potentially denting her US presidential race. Traders said in the less likely scenario of a Donald Trump win, the US dollar could gain, as global risk aversion falls.
"Even if the least likely scenario is to happen - Hillary blows it - then we would have to expect risk aversion and the US dollar would see safe-haven flows," said Nick Tvedt, senior corporate FX dealer at NZForex.
Still, "once you cut through the media hype there's no reason to think it should not be broadly business as usual for markets irrespective of which candidate wins," he said. The kiwi has been caught in a range of 70.50 US cents to 72.50 cents in the past few weeks and may run into "reasonably stiff selling pressure above 72 cents," he said.
