USD/CHF: reports on falling orders and sales in Switzerland affect the exchange rate
The USD/CHF pair shows multidirectional dynamics, trading near the level of 0.8910. After a significant increase at the end of last week, on Friday, when the US dollar updated local highs since July 16 due to strong macroeconomic data, the instrument opened the current week with a slight gap down.
The Swiss industry is experiencing difficulties against the background of declining demand from European partners and the strengthening of the national currency, which negatively affects exports. According to the results of a Swissmechanic study, capacity utilization in small enterprises, providing about 18% of GDP, fell to 81%, the lowest level since January 2021. In the first nine months of this year, sales of manufactured goods decreased by 4.2%, and one in three companies in the sector has already cut staff. Many companies may continue this trend, especially if the new US President Donald Trump fulfills his promises to increase import duties, which will further complicate export operations. Last week, pressure on the franc also intensified due to comments by the head of the Swiss National Bank, Martin Schlegel. He stressed the regulator's determination to keep inflation within the target range of 0.0–2.0%, which plays an important role in ensuring the stability of the Swiss economy.
Investors are waiting for the publication of data on gross domestic product (GDP) and the KOF index of leading indicators for November, which will be released on Friday at 10:00 (GMT+2). Experts predict that GDP growth will remain at 0.7% on a quarterly basis and 1.8% on an annual basis, which may have a restrained effect on the franc exchange rate.
- Resistance levels: 0.8935, 0.8957, 0.9000, 0.9037.
- Support levels: 0.8900, 0.8865, 0.8827, 0.8800.
NZD/USD: Westpac expects the exchange rate to fall to 0.58 USD by the end of the year
During the Asian session, the NZD/USD pair is trading around 0.5850 after opening with a small positive gap, which followed an active decline at the end of last week. However, the confidence of buyers is gradually weakening, as there are no significant factors in the market that can support the strengthening of the New Zealand dollar. Last week, the instrument reached a one-year low amid increasing concerns from the Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) about the slowdown in the economic recovery and the potential consequences of the introduction of new trade duties, which Donald Trump plans to implement after taking office as president of the United States. In light of these circumstances, analysts expect that the RBNZ may reduce the interest rate by 50 basis points at once — from the current level of 4.75% to 4.25%. In turn, the specialists of Westpac Banking Corp. The New Zealand dollar is forecast to weaken to $0.58 by the end of the year, and in the most pessimistic scenario — to $ 0.55 in the coming months.
Meanwhile, New Zealand's foreign trade data for October showed an increase in exports from $5.01 billion to $5.77 billion, while imports increased from $7.06 billion to $7.31 billion. This led to a slight decrease in the trade deficit — from -9.15 billion to -8.96 billion dollars. However, domestic consumption figures remain weak: retail sales in the third quarter decreased by 0.1% after a decline of 1.2% in the second quarter, and sales excluding cars decreased by 0.8% compared with a previous decline of 1.0%. These data confirm the continued weakness of the consumer sector and the lack of signs of an early recovery in economic activity.
- Resistance levels: 0.5858, 0.5885, 0.5920, 0.5950.
- Support levels: 0.5830, 0.5800, 0.5750, 0.5720.
AUD/USD: softening of the RBA's rhetoric is forecast for the end of spring
The AUD/USD pair shows a moderate correction, remaining within the sideways trend at 0.6523 amid the recovery of the US currency's positions.
Analysts at Westpac Banking Corp. They believe that significant changes in the dynamics of the Australian dollar in the near future are unlikely. In their latest note, experts revised forecasts regarding the monetary policy of the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA): expectations of an interest rate cut, previously scheduled for February or March, have now been shifted to May. This decision is due to steady inflation and a stable situation in the labor market, which give the regulator grounds to keep the current rate at 4.35%. According to experts, a reduction in the cost of borrowing will be possible only with a confident return of inflation to the range of 2.0–3.0%, which is predicted no earlier than the second half of spring.
An additional confirmation of this scenario is the statistics on business activity published in November. The index in the manufacturing industry showed a slight increase from 47.3 to 49.4 points, but remained in the contraction zone. In the service sector, on the contrary, the indicators decreased from 51.0 to 49.6 points, and the composite index fell from 50.2 to 49.4 points, reflecting the general slowdown in economic activity. All these data indicate that the RBA will continue to maintain a cautious approach to changing monetary conditions.
- Resistance levels: 0.6560, 0.6670.
- Support levels: 0.6500, 0.6410.
Gold market analysis
The XAU/USD pair rolled back from the maximum level of 2710.0 amid increased geopolitical tensions and lower global bond yields. The appointment of Scott Bessent as U.S. Treasury Secretary, known for his cautious approach to financial policy, has put pressure on the market. Over the week, the yield on key 10-year U.S. Treasury bonds fell from 4.441% to 4.352%. At the same time, expectations regarding the December meeting of the US Federal Reserve are being adjusted: the CME FedWatch Tool shows that the probability of a 25 basis point rate cut has increased to 56.2% compared with Friday's forecasts of 52.7%.
Geopolitical events remain the main driver of the gold price movement. Israel's military actions in Lebanon, as well as the aggravation of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, are forcing investors to increase their positions in safe haven assets. This is confirmed by data from the largest commodity exchanges: interest in gold contracts has increased significantly. According to CME, since November 21, the volume of transactions has steadily increased, reaching 456.0 thousand contracts on Friday. Although this figure is lower than the peak value of 602.0 thousand recorded on November 6, it is still significantly higher than the average level of the previous week, which amounted to 310.0–330.0 thousand contracts.
- Resistance levels: 2713.0, 2791.0.
- Support levels: 2642.0, 2555.0.