New Zealand Dollar Holds Gains

2026-05-01 03:27 By Judith Sib-at 1 min. read

The New Zealand dollar traded around $0.59 on Friday, after rising 1.3% in the prior session on the back of a sharp pullback in the US dollar.

The greenback weakened following reports of Japanese intervention in currency markets, while latest data pointed to resilience in the US economy.

Meanwhile, policy tightening from the Reserve Bank of New Zealand is still expected.

However, investors reduced bets of a rate hike in May to below 30%, down from over 60% earlier this week, after Governor Anna Breman said that first-quarter core inflation measures remained stable within the central bank’s 1–3% target band.

Still, an increase in July is fully priced in.

Weak domestic data have also capped gains in the kiwi, with consumer sentiment and business confidence falling to multi-year lows.

On geopolitics, President Trump maintained a naval blockade of Iranian ports until a nuclear deal is reached, keeping investors on edge.

The kiwi gained 2.8% in April after two straight months of losses.



News Stream
New Zealand Dollar Holds Gains
The New Zealand dollar traded around $0.59 on Friday, after rising 1.3% in the prior session on the back of a sharp pullback in the US dollar. The greenback weakened following reports of Japanese intervention in currency markets, while latest data pointed to resilience in the US economy. Meanwhile, policy tightening from the Reserve Bank of New Zealand is still expected. However, investors reduced bets of a rate hike in May to below 30%, down from over 60% earlier this week, after Governor Anna Breman said that first-quarter core inflation measures remained stable within the central bank’s 1–3% target band. Still, an increase in July is fully priced in. Weak domestic data have also capped gains in the kiwi, with consumer sentiment and business confidence falling to multi-year lows. On geopolitics, President Trump maintained a naval blockade of Iranian ports until a nuclear deal is reached, keeping investors on edge. The kiwi gained 2.8% in April after two straight months of losses.
2026-05-01
New Zealand Dollar Hovers Near 3-Week Low
The New Zealand dollar edged up to $0.583 but remained close to a three-week low, as traders weighed the domestic policy outlook and external developments. While investors continue to expect tightening from the RBNZ, bets on a rate hike in May eased to 45% from over 60% earlier this week after Governor Anna Breman indicated that first-quarter measures of core inflation remained stable within the central bank’s 1-3% target range. Further weighing on sentiment, data showed that New Zealand’s business confidence turned negative in April for the first time since 2023, as the Middle East conflict weighed on expectations for profits and sales. On geopolitics, President Trump opted to maintain a blockade on Iran's ports until a nuclear deal is reached, keeping investors on edge. Meanwhile, the Federal Reserve held interest rates steady as expected, though the decision was accompanied by hawkish dissent from several officials. Still, the kiwi is on track for a monthly gain of more than 1%.
2026-04-30
New Zealand Dollar Drops for 2nd Day
The New Zealand dollar fell for a second straight session on Wednesday to $0.586, as investors digested comments from Reserve Bank of New Zealand Governor Anna Breman. Breman said first-quarter measures of core inflation remained stable within the central bank’s 1-3% target range, while emphasizing that policymakers remain focused on balancing inflation control while supporting an economic recovery. She also stressed that the RBNZ is prepared to act decisively and in a timely manner should short-term price pressures begin to feed into more persistent inflation. Investors responded by scaling back expectations of an early rate hike in May, with the probability falling to 45% from more than 60% earlier this week. Externally, attention is fixed on the Federal Reserve’s policy outcome due later today, with the bank widely expected to stand pat. Meanwhile, traders are awaiting President Trump’s response to Iran’s new proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
2026-04-29