The kiwi spent 20th anniversary of its float today trading a tight range ahead of key US data tonight and next week's Reserve Bank of New Zealand rate call.
At 5pm it was buying US72.64c from US72.75c at 8am this morning and US72.61c at 5pm yesterday.
Twenty years ago today, the kiwi was floated at US44.44c -- 64 percent lower than today's level.
Today it traded a tight US72.60c to US72.79c range.
BNZ currency strategist Sue Trinh told NZPA there had been a bias to buy the kiwi against the aussie throughout the day "with a fair bit of demand from Japan that helped keep the kiwi reasonably well supported".
The kiwi was buying A92.83c this evening from its A92.82c close yesterday.
Tonight, US Payrolls data would provide short term direction for the greenback, kiwi and other currencies.
Ms Trinh said the market was expecting a reasonably good number but if the data exceeded forecasts, "I'd expect the kiwi to come under pressure".
Meanwhile the kiwi was today "well supported on its crosses as the market gets excited about the potential for a rate hike next week".
Ms Trinh said while wider market was picking the RBNZ to lift its official cash rate by 25 basis point to 6.75 percent by June, BNZ economists were now forecasting two rate hikes by then.
On the crosses, the kiwi was buying 0.5542 euros (0.5529 at 5pm yesterday), 38.09 British pence (37.97), 76.55 yen (76.19) and 0.8578 Swiss francs (0.8528).
Elsewhere, the Australian dollar was trading at US78.24c (US78.23c), the euro was buying $US1.3111 ($US1.3131) and the greenback was buying 105.34 yen (104.92).
The New Zealand dollar Trade Weighted Index (TWI) was at 70.52 (70.41) and the monetary conditions index was at plus 1045 (1037).
On the money markets, 90-day bank bill yields were unchanged at 6.89 percent, July 2009 bonds were at 6.23 percent (6.24) and April 2015s were on 6.10 percent (6.12).
- NZPA
<EM>Currency:</EM> Uneventful session for kiwi on 20th anniversary of float
AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.