New Zealand Dollar Heads for Weekly Gain

2026-07-03 03:19 By Judith Sib-at 1 min. read

The New Zealand dollar rose to around $0.572, on track for its first weekly advance in three after rebounding from a seven-month low, as the US dollar weakened.

The greenback fell to a two-week low after a weaker-than-expected jobs report prompted investors to scale back bets on an imminent rate hike by the Federal Reserve.

The kiwi also found support from expectations that the Reserve Bank of New Zealand will raise rates next week, with market pricing indicating about a 78% probability of a hike.

However, economists remain divided, with some calling for a hold as the decline in oil prices reduced inflation risks.

On this week’s data, business sentiment improved in June, suggesting the economy may not slow as much as initially feared, while consumer confidence also increased as inflation concerns linked to the earlier spike in oil prices quickly faded.

So far this week, the currency has gained more than 1%.



News Stream
New Zealand Dollar Heads for Weekly Gain
The New Zealand dollar rose to around $0.572, on track for its first weekly advance in three after rebounding from a seven-month low, as the US dollar weakened. The greenback fell to a two-week low after a weaker-than-expected jobs report prompted investors to scale back bets on an imminent rate hike by the Federal Reserve. The kiwi also found support from expectations that the Reserve Bank of New Zealand will raise rates next week, with market pricing indicating about a 78% probability of a hike. However, economists remain divided, with some calling for a hold as the decline in oil prices reduced inflation risks. On this week’s data, business sentiment improved in June, suggesting the economy may not slow as much as initially feared, while consumer confidence also increased as inflation concerns linked to the earlier spike in oil prices quickly faded. So far this week, the currency has gained more than 1%.
2026-07-03
New Zealand Dollar Languishes Near 7-Month Low
The New Zealand dollar held at $0.567, hovering near its lowest level in seven months amid a firm US dollar, while investors assessed the Reserve Bank’s interest rate outlook. Markets continue to price in a rate hike from the RBNZ next week, although analysts have become more divided on whether such a move is necessary given the recent decline in oil prices. Meanwhile, latest data showed business confidence improved in June, suggesting the economy may be holding up better than earlier feared. Although local economists still expect a contraction in the second quarter, they anticipate a recovery thereafter as fuel and other costs ease. The kiwi dropped 5.2% in June, marking its largest monthly fall since December 2024, and declined 1.2% in the second quarter.
2026-07-01
New Zealand Dollar Remains Under Pressure
The New Zealand dollar hovered near a seven-month low at around $0.564, weighed down by a broadly strong US dollar and growing concerns over the domestic growth outlook. Although the recent pullback in oil prices, following a US-Iran deal, has eased near-term inflation concerns, the broader economic damage from the earlier energy shock remains, with New Zealand's four major banks forecasting the economy to shrink in the second quarter. Expectations for aggressive tightening by the Reserve Bank of New Zealand have been scaled back, with markets now pricing in roughly a 66% chance of a July rate hike, down from over 80% a few weeks earlier, and anticipating just two moves this year rather than three. The kiwi has declined 5.7% so far in June, on track for its biggest monthly drop since 2024, and is down 1.7% for the second quarter.
2026-06-29