With that in mind, the Australian dollar is likely to continue to trade on the basis of commodity prices, the health of major Asian resource importers, and its high-interest rates. Though the state of Australia’s economy should be a concern to Australians, it is unlikely that the fxcm review Australian dollar will fade from importance even as the Chinese yuan becomes more significant in the region. If you are investing outside of Australia, such as directly in international shares, you are exposed to currency risk from the fluctuation of foreign exchange rates.

  • And the Westpac-Melbourne Institute Index of Consumer Sentiment fell by 5.6 per cent to 90.4 in May.
  • If you’re buying something from overseas, be prepared to pay a lot more for it when the dollar is low.
  • AUD extended its outperformance against USD in 2023 with AUD/USD rates gaining 1.3 year-to-date (YTD) as of 20 February.
  • Assuming the sale price of the laptop was the same in October, it would then have cost $2,419 AUD, a $252 difference.
  • For example, if you wanted to buy a $US1,500 laptop from an American store, it would currently cost you about $2,166AUD.

In the meantime, “all our export clients [are] pretty happy bunnies” as they enjoy “a windfall when they’re translating mostly US-dollar earnings back into Australian dollars”, Attrill says. Many overseas visitors, including for the World Cup, will also have been more inclined to spend. The link between commodity prices and the Australian dollar also appears to have become less reliable.

Unemployment in July rose to 3.7 per cent from 3.5 per cent, prompting the dollar’s sudden drop in value. The NAB’s chief economist is optimistic the Australian dollar won’t do any damage to household budgets. Households feel the effects when they go shopping and realise the goods they purchase have risen in cost. The fear at this juncture is that the Australian dollar has further to fall. The coronavirus has had a massive impact on both the international education sector and international tourism in Australia. Visitor numbers for study and travel have plummeted, not just from China but from across the world.

Sky News on Flash

Global wheat prices rise sharply after a UN-brokered deal to ship grain out of Ukraine ended last month, with effects on inflation and food security. Australia may be a major trading nation, shipping vast amounts of minerals, energy and food to review calculated bets the rest of the world, but we are a relatively small economy. Japan led the way but was quickly followed by America and the European Union before a global pile on saw almost every major trading nation battling to muscle their currencies lower.

Consumer views on whether it is a good ‘time to buy a major household item’ dropped 2.2 per cent in the past week to a 2-year low of -15.9 points. And the Westpac-Melbourne Institute Index of Consumer Sentiment fxopen forex broker review fell by 5.6 per cent to 90.4 in May. Iron ore prices, at $US106 a tonne, are half their level of two years ago, a trend that looks set to continue into the medium and longer term as global production ramps up.

The Australian dollar is in freefall, recording its lowest value in nine months following a worse-than-expected jobs report and an increasingly dire outlook in China. The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) has decided to freeze the official interest rate at 3.6%, after a record run of rate increases. However, the RBA has suggested that further hikes may still be on the horizon, as there are signs of improvement in the economy. The Reserve Bank of Australia decides on the interest rate of Australia on the first Tuesday of each month between February and December. They send out a press release at 2.30pm on this day to announce any changes or holds in interest rates.

How will a weak Aussie dollar impact me?

Negative interest rates would discourage depositors from keeping cash in the bank as they would be charged a holding fee instead of earning interest on savings. On the other hand, negative interest rates would make borrowing money more appealing as it would result in very low loan rates. Re-analyzing a model with newer data and a longer time window reveals that the Australian dollar may not be as sensitive to changes in interest rates as previously thought. However, there is still a significant amount of uncertainty surrounding these estimates.

Although price pressures in Australia have come off peak levels, annual inflation still remained uncomfortably high. The current annual inflation rate in Australia is 7.8%, according to ABS data released on 25 January 2023. The RBA hiked rates by 25 bps in its last meeting on 7 February 2023, as expected by markets and predicted by ING Group’s economists. ING saw Australia’s interest rates peaking at 3.6%, up from the current rate of 3.1%, as of 6 January 2023.

Foreign exchange, or forex, trading is an increasingly popular market for investors and speculators. The markets are huge and liquid, trading occurs on a 24-hour basis, and there is enormous leverage available to even a small individual trader. Moreover, it is an opportunity to trade on the relative fortunes of countries and economies as opposed to the idiosyncrasies of companies.

The Aussie dollar is not expected to stay so low

The US economic calendar recently featured the University of Michigan’s Consumer Sentiment, which deteriorated in October to 63 from last month 68.1 and missing estimates of 67.2. Inflation expectations for one year rose from 3.2% to 3.8%, while for five years jumped to 3% from 2.8%. The upside of that is demand will begin to favour locally-made products, which is good for Australian businesses. Exports can include services such as tourism and education – industries which are among the main winners of a low Aussie dollar, alongside manufacturing and agriculture.

Why did Australia cut interest rates?

The article discusses the relationship between structural change and productivity growth, and identifies three factors that influence this relationship. It highlights the impact of natural resource exports on structural change and productivity growth in different countries. There are 3 main reasons the Australian dollar is so low and they are all have one thing in common – China.

Inflation concerns

If interest rates are low and staying low in Australia, but rising overseas, it pressures the Australian dollar lower. This is because investors looking for a return will take their money out of Australian dollar assets and move them to other countries with higher interest rates. The central bank has also committed to keeping interest rates this low until 2024.

The amount above zero represents the premium to US money markets we’ve had to offer foreigners to park their money here. And so, with less money flowing in to take advantage of higher rates, our dollar deflated. That stronger for longer Aussie dollar put the local manufacturing industry to the sword. It could no longer compete with cheap imports from Asia, particularly China.

“The [US] September CPI [consumer price index] report should show a moderation in goods prices that is a likely harbinger of a broader slowing in core inflation. “This is an ongoing threat to the Australian dollar given its risk sensitive [and] pro-cyclical nature and high correlation to global growth.” S Money complies with the relevant laws pertaining to privacy, anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism finance. It also means the order must be paid for by the same person ordering the currency and you must show your identification again when receiving your order. Commodity prices have fallen from their meteoric highs and the Aussie dollar has fallen too.

For more information on how we’ve selected these “Sponsored”, “Featured” and “Promoted” products, the products we compare, how we make money, and other important information about our service, please click here. “From the price we pay at the fruit shop, to our overseas hotel room, mortgage repayments and the cost of our new TV, a small difference in rates can cause a ripple effect that increases the daily cost of living,” Mr Liddy said. The strength or weakness of the dollar can considerably impact the cost of everyday items, but research from international transfer money provider WorldFirst found many Aussies have no idea how a fluctuating dollar impacts them. Australia’s economy is driven by commodities (both metals and grains), and reports on crop planting, weather, harvests, mine output, and metal prices all can move the Aussie dollar. Fortunately, this data is not hard to find – Australia’s Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES) produces regular reports that are freely available on the internet.