The New Zealand dollar faltered against the yen after a US missile strike against the Syrian regime, sapping risk appetite and stoking demand for safe-havens such as Japan's currency and US Treasuries.
The kiwi fell to 77.05 at 5pm today from 77.17 at the start of the day, leaving it little changed from 77.04 on Thursday. The trade-weighted index was at 75.97 from 75.98 on Thursday.
Crude oil rose, US Treasuries rallied and the yen gained after US President Donald Trump ordered the first direct American military action against the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, with US warships firing as many as 60 Tomahawk cruise missiles at a Syrian Government airbase in retaliation for a gas attack on the town of Khan Sheikhoun.
News of the attack emerged as Trump prepared to meet his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping at Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, where trade and North Korea are expected to top the agenda.
"The day's excitement was indeed the missiles. It was a risk-off event - the yen was the sharpest mover, and US Treasuries," said Imre Speizer, senior markets strategist at Westpac Banking. Unless the reaction to the attack flares up again during London trading, "it seems to have stalled for now".