Australia, NZ dollars maintain upside momentum as resistance buckles
By Wayne Cole
SYDNEY, Aug 29 (Reuters) -The Australian and New Zealand dollars were well supported near eight-month highs on Thursday as their U.S. counterpart remained under broad pressure and momentum buyers looked to break another layer of chart barriers.
The Aussie held at $0.6793 AUD=D3, just off a top of $0.6812. Support now lies around $0.6759 and $0.6695, with $0.6871 the next major bull target.
The kiwi dollar rose 0.6% to a fresh peak of $0.6286 NZD=D3, breaking past resistance at $0.6277. The next major target is $0.6370, with support at $0.6195.
The Aussie is still benefiting from July inflation data that topped market forecasts, supporting the Reserve Bank of Australia's (RBA) contention that a rate cut was unlikely this year.
As a result, the market has pared back the probability of a November rate cut to 42%, from 56% before the data. A December move is priced at 88%, though, as by then the U.S. Federal Reserve is expected to have cut twice. 0#RBAWATCH
Among the four major local banks, CBA thinks the RBA will cut as early as November, while Westpac and ANZ tip February and NAB doesn't see one until May.
Paul Bloxham, head of Australian economics at HSBC, is in the hawkish camp with no cut seen until the second quarter of next year.
"Underlying inflation is too high and only gradually easing, and the jobs market is still tight and only gradually loosening," he argued.
"Underlying inflation is still noticeably higher in Australia than in other comparable economies," he added. "The recent data and communications from the RBA give good reason to think that Australia and the RBA are different."
Data out on Thursday was on the weaker side, with business investment sliding 2.2% when analysts had looked for a rise of 1.0%. The miss suggests some downside risk for economic growth numbers due next week.
In New Zealand, a survey showed business confidence jumped 23 points to a decade high of +51 in August, and expected activity at their own firms climbed 21 points to +37.
The turnaround was fuelled by a rate cut from the Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ), which also flagged a whole cycle of easing lay ahead. 0#RBNZWATCH
"The August ANZ Business Outlook survey showed a flurry of optimism," said ANZ Chief Economist Sharon Zollner.
"Forward-looking activity indicators lifted strongly, and this was evident already in the responses that came in at the very beginning of the month."
Reporting by Wayne Cole; Editing by Edwina Gibbs
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