NZDUSD Exchange Rate

The U.S. dollar appreciated against its major counterparts in the New York session on Thursday, as GDP data showed a hot inflation reading for the first quarter and initial jobless claims fell to a two-month low last week, dashing hopes of a rate cut before September.

Pending home sales in the U.S. surged by much more than expected in the month of March, according to a report released by the National Association of Realtors on Thursday. NAR said its pending home sales index spiked by 3.4 percent to 78.2 in March after jumping by 1.6 percent to 75.6 in February. Economists had expected pending home sales to rise by just 0.3 percent.

Pending home sales in the U.S. surged by much more than expected in the month of March, according to a report released by the National Association of Realtors on Thursday.

A report released by the Commerce Department on Thursday showed the U.S. economy grew by much less than expected in the first quarter of 2024. The Commerce Department said gross domestic product increased by 1.6 percent in the first quarter after surging by 3.4 percent in the fourth quarter of 2023. Economists had expected GDP to jump by 2.5 percent.

The Dollar Index, a popular gauge of the Greenback’s value against a basket of 6 major currencies, steadied to close at 106.11 (106.15 Friday).

The market's attention has shifted from Middle East tensions to remarks made by Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell. Powell's recent speech signals that the U.S. central bank may opt to maintain interest rates at elevated levels for an extended period, given the backdrop of robust economic indicators and surprisingly high inflation readings.

The New Zealand dollar has plummeted to a five-month low, with the NZD/USD pair touching the 0.5890 mark. This decline was triggered by the release of robust American retail sales data, which raised concerns that the Federal Reserve might delay interest rate cuts expected in 2024.

The Dollar Index (DXY) soared to finish above 106.0 (104.95) as geopolitical risks rose amidst hawkish Fed bets. News that Iran fired a huge salvo of missiles and drones toward Israel boosted the Greenback against its Rivals.