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NZD/USD holds below 0.6000 following the Chinese CPI, PPI data

  • NZD/USD edges lower to 0.5980 after the softer Chinese inflation report on Thursday. 
  • Chinese CPI rose 0.1% YoY in March, compared to a 0.7% rise in February and the consensus of 0.4% increase.
  • The strong US economy and elevated inflation triggered the Federal Reserve (Fed) to delay cutting interest rates this year.

The NZD/USD pair loses around 0.5980 on Thursday during the Asian trading hours. The Chinese Consumer Price Index (CPI) was softer than estimated in March, while the Producer Price Index (PPI) was in line with expectations. The pair moves little after Chinese inflation data, and the attention will shift to the US PPI for March, due later on Thursday.

The latest key Chinese data from the National Bureau of Statistics of China indicated easing inflation in the world’s second-largest economy. China’s Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose 0.1% YoY in March, compared to a 0.7% rise in February and the consensus of a 0.4% increase. On a monthly basis, Chinese CPI inflation arrived at -1.0% MoM in March versus 1.0% prior, below the 0.5% decline estimated. 

Finally, China’s Producer Price Index (PPI) fell 2.8% YoY in March, compared with a 2.7% decline in the previous reading, beating market expectations in the reported period. Concerns over slowing economic growth in China have grown in recent months and the softer inflation data raises concerns about uncertain economic prospects, which might cap the upside of the China-proxy New Zealand Dollar (NZD) against the USD. 

On Wednesday, the Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) maintained its Official Cash Rate (OCR) at 5.5% for the sixth consecutive meeting as widely expected. The RBNZ noted that the monetary policy will remain restrictive to maintain downward pressure on inflation. Some economists perceived this move as dovish as New Zealand’s economy has entered a technical recession and consumer confidence has declined.

On the other hand, the robust US economy and elevated inflation could convince the Federal Reserve (Fed) to cut interest rates this year. This, in turn, provides some support to the Greenback. According to the CME’s FedWatch tool, financial markets now see a 66% likelihood of an interest rate cut at the September meeting.