empty
12.03.2025 12:43 AM
Commodity Currencies Remain Under Growing Pressure Despite Overall Dollar Weakness. AUD/USD Analysis

The tension caused by the new U.S. administration's aggressive efforts to revise tariffs has also affected Australia. According to NAB, business conditions showed slight improvement in February, with modest increases in trading conditions and profitability. However, there was a significant decline in business confidence, which dropped by 6 points, largely negating the improvement made in January. This brought confidence below the long-term average and back into negative territory.

This image is no longer relevant

Revised data indicated a quarter-on-quarter growth of 0.6% and a year-on-year increase of 1.3%, which slightly exceeded the expectations of the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA). Private consumption grew by 0.4% quarter-on-quarter, which is an improvement over previous quarters, but still insufficient to drive overall economic growth.

For the RBA, the incoming data appears neutral. The rate forecast suggests one more rate cut in May, with a projected final level of 3.1% by 2026. This forecast aligns with market expectations for the Federal Reserve's rate in 2026, indicating no clear driver for future rate divergence. At least for now, this minimizes the likelihood of significant movements in either direction.

U.S. President Trump responded to Canada's introduction of an import tax on electricity from the U.S.—which the Canadian government imposed as a retaliatory measure—by raising tariffs. Duties on Canadian steel and aluminum have now reached 50%. Markets reacted with a decline, and this downturn is likely to spread across the entire commodities sector. Selling anything in the U.S. is becoming increasingly complex, and where else can exports go if not to the U.S.? While Australia does not face a direct threat, there is an indirect risk of declining activity in the mining sector and a potential overall drop in exports, which is a negative outlook for the Aussie.

Net short positions on the AUD increased by $134 million over the reporting week to -$3.034 billion, with positioning remaining bearish. The calculated price is above the long-term average, offering hope for a corrective upward movement.

This image is no longer relevant

The AUD/USD currency pair is currently trading in a sideways range, with the nearest resistance level at 0.6400/20. This target, which was identified last week, remains unachieved. The Australian dollar is lacking the internal momentum necessary for a resurgence, and additional pressure arises from rising concerns about a possible U.S. recession, which is heavily impacting commodity currencies. We anticipate that trading will remain range-bound, with a slightly increased likelihood of a slow movement towards the 0.5400/20 level. However, a strong rally is not expected.

Kuvat Raharjo,
Analytical expert of InstaForex
© 2007-2025
Select timeframe
5
min
15
min
30
min
1
hour
4
hours
1
day
1
week
Earn on cryptocurrency rate changes with InstaForex
Download MetaTrader 4 and open your first trade
  • Grand Choice
    Contest by
    InstaForex
    InstaForex always strives to help you
    fulfill your biggest dreams.
    JOIN CONTEST

Recommended Stories

Fed Rate Cut Probability Is Near Zero

This week marks the third Federal Reserve meeting of the year. At the first two meetings, monetary policy parameters remained unchanged, and there is virtually no chance of a rate

Chin Zhao 00:50 2025-05-06 UTC+2

The Dollar Sell-Off Shows No Signs of Slowing Down

The latest CFTC report reveals that the dollar sell-off continues unabated. Weekly changes against major currencies amounted to -$3.1 billion, bringing the total accumulated short position to -$17.1 billion

Kuvat Raharjo 00:50 2025-05-06 UTC+2

GBP/USD. The Pound and Politics

The pound reacted negatively to the results of the local elections in the UK, where the right-wing Reform UK party secured a convincing victory in many districts. However, the British

Irina Manzenko 00:50 2025-05-06 UTC+2

XAU/USD. Analysis and Forecast

Gold continues to show resilience, climbing above the key psychological level of $3300. Geopolitical tensions stemming from the prolonged Russia–Ukraine conflict and escalating hostilities in the Middle East continue

Irina Yanina 17:45 2025-05-05 UTC+2

USD/CHF: Analysis and Forecast

The USD/CHF pair remains under pressure at the start of the new week, attracting sellers for the second day in a row, weighed down by several factors. However, spot prices

Irina Yanina 17:35 2025-05-05 UTC+2

Could the Fed Deliver a Surprise Following Its Meeting? (Possible Renewed Decline in Oil Prices and GBP/USD Pair)

The turbulence of recent months, driven by Donald Trump's actions and the release of fresh U.S. economic data, has done little to help investors understand the true direction of asset

Pati Gani 09:50 2025-05-05 UTC+2

The Market Doesn't Dare to Go Against the Crowd

"Dance while the music plays." The S&P 500 has just completed a 9-day rally—the longest since 2024—driven by a strong U.S. labor market report and upbeat earnings from tech giants

Marek Petkovich 08:49 2025-05-05 UTC+2

GBP/USD Overview – May 5: Bank of England and Fed Meetings

The GBP/USD currency pair failed to show any decisive movement on Friday—it neither rose nor fell significantly. Many analysts interpreted the U.S. labor market and unemployment data as positive simply

Paolo Greco 06:44 2025-05-05 UTC+2

EUR/USD Overview – May 5: A New Week of Ordeals for the Dollar

The EUR/USD currency pair remained flat on Friday. The day saw both upward and downward movements. It is a notable achievement for the dollar that it has appreciated over

Paolo Greco 06:44 2025-05-05 UTC+2

EUR/USD: Weekly Preview. The May FOMC Meeting and (Possible) U.S.-China Trade Talks

The new week promises to be informative for EUR/USD traders. Most notably, the next Federal Reserve meeting, scheduled for May 6–7, will determine the central bank's future course of action

Irina Manzenko 05:53 2025-05-05 UTC+2
Can't speak right now?
Ask your question in the chat.
Widget callback
 

Dear visitor,

Your IP address shows that you are currently located in the USA. If you are a resident of the United States, you are prohibited from using the services of InstaFintech Group including online trading, online transfers, deposit/withdrawal of funds, etc.

If you think you are seeing this message by mistake and your location is not the US, kindly proceed to the website. Otherwise, you must leave the website in order to comply with government restrictions.

Why does your IP address show your location as the USA?

  • - you are using a VPN provided by a hosting company based in the United States;
  • - your IP does not have proper WHOIS records;
  • - an error occurred in the WHOIS geolocation database.

Please confirm whether you are a US resident or not by clicking the relevant button below. If you choose the wrong option, being a US resident, you will not be able to open an account with InstaForex anyway.

We are sorry for any inconvenience caused by this message.