AUD/USD, NZD/USD surge as traders bet big on supersized China stimulus
- AUD/USD, NZD/USD jump over 1% on China stimulus speculation
- Rumours of ¥12 trillion package fuel risk-on sentiment
- Politburo decision Friday key to sustaining rally momentum
Overview
Speculation over a supersized China stimulus package, combined with lower US bond yields and continued gains in risk assets, powered AUD/USD and NZD/USD higher on Thursday. The latter saw its largest one-day increase this year. With price and momentum signals giving the green light for bulls, the stars seem to be aligning for further upside.
However, fundamentals tell a more cautionary tale. US economic exceptionalism hasn’t disappeared, and most traders have likely lost count of how many China stimulus disappointments we’ve seen recently. One way or another, China needs to go big or go home, otherwise we could be staring at a reversal of the reversal of the initial US election reversal.
AUD/NZD, NZD/USD surge over 1%
Thursday was a big day for both AUD/USD and NZD/USD, logging gains of over 1% apiece. For the Aussie, it was the largest increase since November 14, 2023, adding to the impressive rebound off Wednesday's lows.
Source: Refinitiv
All one trade + China stimulus speculation
Price action across most markets was broadly one trade on Thursday, with sharply lower US Treasury yields helping to fuel large gains in long-duration equities, like Nasdaq 100 futures, along with US dollar weakness. That contributed to the Aussie and Kiwi move, adding to the exuberance seen in late Asian trade where rumours of a possible ¥12 trillion China stimulus package, including ¥2 trillion to boost consumption, rippled across markets, sending China-linked plays surging higher.
Source: TradingView
The details of the stimulus package were covered in a separate note, but the rumour exceeded even the largest of market estimates, explaining the reaction. Now that it’s been priced in, China’s Politburo needs to deliver. That’s where the risks lie on Friday. If we don’t see the ¥12 trillion figure or direct measures to boost household consumption, Thursday’s move could easily unwind given the skittish nature of trade this week. There’s no set time for the announcement, adding to headline risk.
AUD/USD rips higher from known reversal zone
AUD/USD delivered an impressive bullish engulfing candle on Thursday, hitting month-to-date highs before stalling at .6692, a minor level that acted as both support and resistance in October. With RSI (14) trending higher and MACD crossing the signal line from below, bullish momentum signals have been triggered.
For the pure technicians, this points to upside risks. But this is only one filter for assessing setups. Fundamentals, as mentioned earlier, provide a more cautious view. Given the number of false technical signals lately, waiting to see the actual stimulus announcement may be a better strategy today.
Source: TradingView
Above .6692, the 50-day moving average and October 21 peak are only pips apart, making it a zone of interest. If that’s broken, only minor resistance at .6760 stands in the way of a potential retest of the downtrend dating back to June last year.
On the downside, the 200-day moving average is a key level to watch, with nothing visually significant until the uptrend dating back to the pandemic lows. The past four times this level has been breached or approached, it resulted in major bullish reversals, including earlier this week. It’s currently around .6510.
NZD/USD generating bullish signals
Like the Aussie, NZD/USD posted a bullish engulfing candle on Thursday, lifting to highs not seen since mid-October. RSI (14) and MACD are also showing bullish momentum signals, favouring buying dips over selling rips from a pure price perspective.
Source: TradingView
On the topside, Thursday’s high of .6040 and .6053 are initial levels of interest, with the 200-day moving average and .6110 after that. On the downside, below .5912, .5850 is a level where price has bounced multiple times over the past year when tested or approached.
-- Written by David Scutt
Follow David on Twitter @scutty
How to trade with City Index
You can trade with City Index by following these four easy steps:
-
Open an account, or log in if you’re already a customer
• Open an account in the UK
• Open an account in Australia
• Open an account in Singapore
- Search for the market you want to trade in our award-winning platform
- Choose your position and size, and your stop and limit levels
- Place the trade
StoneX Financial Ltd (trading as “City Index”) is an execution-only service provider. This material, whether or not it states any opinions, is for general information purposes only and it does not take into account your personal circumstances or objectives. This material has been prepared using the thoughts and opinions of the author and these may change. However, City Index does not plan to provide further updates to any material once published and it is not under any obligation to keep this material up to date. This material is short term in nature and may only relate to facts and circumstances existing at a specific time or day. Nothing in this material is (or should be considered to be) financial, investment, legal, tax or other advice and no reliance should be placed on it.
No opinion given in this material constitutes a recommendation by City Index or the author that any particular investment, security, transaction or investment strategy is suitable for any specific person. The material has not been prepared in accordance with legal requirements designed to promote the independence of investment research. Although City Index is not specifically prevented from dealing before providing this material, City Index does not seek to take advantage of the material prior to its dissemination. This material is not intended for distribution to, or use by, any person in any country or jurisdiction where such distribution or use would be contrary to local law or regulation.
For further details see our full non-independent research disclaimer and quarterly summary.
CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 69% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money. CFD and Forex Trading are leveraged products and your capital is at risk. They may not be suitable for everyone. Please ensure you fully understand the risks involved by reading our full risk warning.
City Index is a trading name of StoneX Financial Ltd. Head and Registered Office: 1st Floor, Moor House, 120 London Wall, London, EC2Y 5ET. StoneX Financial Ltd is a company registered in England and Wales, number: 05616586. Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. FCA Register Number: 446717.
City Index is a trademark of StoneX Financial Ltd.
The information on this website is not targeted at the general public of any particular country. It is not intended for distribution to residents in any country where such distribution or use would contravene any local law or regulatory requirement.
© City Index 2024