New Zealand Dollar weakens as Trump-Xi optimism, firm US data bolster Dollar
- The US Dollar remains supported after positive comments surrounding the meeting between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping.
- US inflation accelerated in April and reinforces expectations of a restrictive monetary policy stance.
- US Retail Sales rise as expected, while weekly Jobless Claims increase slightly.
NZD/USD falls to around 0.5920 on Thursday at the time of writing, down 0.28% on the day, as the New Zealand Dollar (NZD) remains under pressure against a stronger US Dollar (USd). The move comes amid improved sentiment surrounding US-China relations and after a series of US data releases reinforced expectations of a prolonged restrictive monetary policy stance.
Support for the US Dollar initially comes from comments by White House officials describing the meeting between United States (US) President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping as positive. The two leaders discussed ways to strengthen economic cooperation, including broader access for US businesses to the Chinese market and increased Chinese investment in the United States. Discussions also covered geopolitical matters, with both sides agreeing on the importance of keeping the Strait of Hormuz open.
The New Zealand Dollar also remains pressured by concerns surrounding the domestic economy. The latest quarterly survey from the Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) showed higher expectations for inflation, interest rates, and unemployment, while also signaling weaker growth prospects. This combination continues to maintain a cautious tone around the New Zealand currency.
Meanwhile, US data released on Thursday continue to support the Greenback. The Retail Sales increased by 0.5% in April, in line with market expectations, while weekly Initial Jobless Claims rose slightly to 211K from 199K in the previous week. Despite the slight increase in unemployment claims, markets continue to believe that inflationary pressures could keep the Federal Reserve (Fed) in a restrictive stance for longer.
Investors have gradually scaled back expectations for interest rate cuts this year, with some now starting to consider the possibility of a rate hike before year-end, a scenario that continues to support the US Dollar and weigh on NZD/USD.
New Zealand Dollar Price Today
The table below shows the percentage change of New Zealand Dollar (NZD) against listed major currencies today. New Zealand Dollar was the strongest against the Australian Dollar.
| USD | EUR | GBP | JPY | CAD | AUD | NZD | CHF | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USD | 0.16% | 0.16% | -0.13% | 0.09% | 0.45% | 0.21% | -0.00% | |
| EUR | -0.16% | -0.02% | -0.26% | -0.07% | 0.25% | 0.02% | -0.16% | |
| GBP | -0.16% | 0.02% | -0.23% | -0.06% | 0.29% | 0.04% | -0.11% | |
| JPY | 0.13% | 0.26% | 0.23% | 0.16% | 0.52% | 0.27% | 0.06% | |
| CAD | -0.09% | 0.07% | 0.06% | -0.16% | 0.37% | 0.10% | -0.05% | |
| AUD | -0.45% | -0.25% | -0.29% | -0.52% | -0.37% | -0.24% | -0.38% | |
| NZD | -0.21% | -0.02% | -0.04% | -0.27% | -0.10% | 0.24% | -0.17% | |
| CHF | 0.00% | 0.16% | 0.11% | -0.06% | 0.05% | 0.38% | 0.17% |
The heat map shows percentage changes of major currencies against each other. The base currency is picked from the left column, while the quote currency is picked from the top row. For example, if you pick the New Zealand Dollar from the left column and move along the horizontal line to the US Dollar, the percentage change displayed in the box will represent NZD (base)/USD (quote).