NZD/USD rises ahead of jobs data, US election

The New Zealand dollar is higher on Monday. In the European session, NZD/USD is trading at 0.5991, up 0.49% on the day. The New Zealand dollar is coming off a miserable October, plunging 5.9%.

New Zealand employment expected to slow

New Zealand releases the third quarter employment report on Wednesday. The markets are braced for soft numbers that point to a deterioration in the labor market. Employment change is expected to decline by 0.4% after a 0.4% gain in the second quarter. As well, the unemployment rate is expected to jump to 5%, from 4.6% in the second quarter. The New Zealand dollar is vulnerable to a weak employment report.

The Reserve Bank of New Zealand will be keeping a close eye on the job release. A weak employment report will support for the case for a rate cut at the Nov. 27 meeting. Last month, the central bank made an aggressive cut of 50 basis points, lowering the cash rate to 4.75%. What can we expect at the next meeting?

Inflation has been moving lower and eased to 2.2% y/y in the third quarter. This was down sharply from 3.3% in Q2 and more importantly, was back within the RBNZ’s target band of 1%-3%. The decline in inflation has raised expectations of further aggressive cuts and the most likely scenario is another 50-bp cut. Still, the RBNZ has demonstrated in the past that it can be very aggressive and a 75-bp cut cannot be ruled out.

Market uncertainty over tight US election

The US election on Tuesday is too close to call and the political uncertainty could translate in volatility in the financial markets. With the votes in some swing states expected to be very close, we can expect recounts and even court challenges, which means that the election outcome won’t be determined for days or even weeks, which could leave investors uneasy. The election will be followed by the Federal Reserve rate decision on Thursday, with the markets pricing in a 25-bp cut at close to 100%.

NZD/USD Technical

• NZD/USD tested resistance at 0.6014 earlier. Above, there is resistance at 0.6028
• There is support at 0.5988 and 0.5974

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