NZD/USD remains on the defensive below the mid-0.6100s, firmer US PPI boosts US Dollar

Source Fxstreet
  • NZD/USD loses ground near 0.6125 amid the firmer USD.
  • Strong US economic data strengthened the case for a delay in the Fed rate cuts.
  • The New Zealand’s Business NZ PMI arrived at 49.3 in February vs. 47.3 prior.

The NZD/USD pair trades on a weaker note below the mid-0.6100s during the early Asian session on Friday. The downtick of the pair is driven by the strong US Producer Price Index (PPI) data. Meanwhile, the USD Index (DXY) edges higher to fresh multi-session peaks past the 103.00 barrier. NZD/USD currently trades around 0.6125, down 0.09% on the day.

On Thursday, US February Retail Sales rose 0.6% MoM from a downwardly revised -1.1% in January, worse than the expectations of a 0.8% m/m rise. The Retail Sales Control Group was flat at 0% MoM, compared to the previous reading of a 0.3% MoM decline. Furthermore, the February PPI came in better than estimated, rising 0.6% MoM in February from 0.3% MoM in January. The Core PPI figure climbed 0.3% MoM versus a 0.5% gain in January.

The upbeat US economic data followed a rise surprise in the CPI inflation report earlier this week, raising worries about disinflationary momentum in the US. The data also suggest the FOMC will maintain a cautious approach and need to see further data before lowering the interest rate. The possibility of a delay in the Federal Reserve's (Fed) monetary easing cycle boosts the Greenback and

The latest data from Business NZ showed that New Zealand’s Business NZ Performance of Manufacturing Index (PMI) came in at 49.3 in February versus 47.3 prior. The figure showed signs of improvement but was still in the contraction zone. This, in turn, continues to weigh on the Kiwi against the US Dollar.

Moving on, traders will focus on US Industrial Production and the preliminary Michigan Consumer Sentiment, due on Friday. Next week, the FOMC monetary policy meeting will be in the spotlight. Traders will take cues from the data and find trading opportunities around the NZD/USD pair.

 

Disclaimer: For information purposes only. Past performance is not indicative of future results.
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Author  Mitrade
2 hours ago
Bitcoin has dropped back below $88,000 after rolling over from $90,500, with price still trading under the 100-hour Simple Moving Average. The sell-off found a floor at $85,151, and BTC is now consolidating near that base, but rebounds are facing pressure from a bearish trend line around $89,000. Bulls need to retake $88,000–$89,000 to ease downside risk; failure to do so keeps $85,500–$85,000 and then $83,500 in play, with $80,000 as the deeper “line in the sand.” Bitcoin (BTC) is back in damage-control mode after a sharp pullback wiped out recent gains. The price failed to reclaim the $90,000–$90,500 band, rolled over, and slid through $88,500 before briefly dipping under $87,000. Buyers did show up around $85,000, but the rebound so far looks more like stabilization than a clear trend reversal. Bitcoin dips hard, finds a bid near $85,000(h3) BTC’s latest move lower began when it couldn’t build follow-through above $90,000 and $90,500. Once that upside stalled, sellers took control and pushed price down through $88,500. The slide accelerated enough to spike below $87,000, but the market didn’t free-fall. Bulls defended the $85,000 zone, printing a low at $85,151. Since then, Bitcoin has been consolidating below the 23.6% Fibonacci retracement of the drop from the $93,560 swing high to the $85,151 low — a clue that the bounce is still shallow and that sellers haven’t fully backed off yet. Structurally, BTC is still on the back foot: It’s trading below $88,000, and It remains below the 100-hour Simple Moving Average, keeping short-term trend pressure pointed downward. Resistance is layered, and $89,000 is the problem area(h3) If bulls try to turn this into a recovery, they’ll have to climb through multiple ceilings in quick succession. First, BTC faces resistance around $87,150, followed by a more meaningful barrier near $87,500. From there, the market’s attention snaps back to $88,000 — the level BTC just lost and now needs to reclaim. A close back above $88,000 would improve the tone, but it doesn’t solve the bigger issue: there’s a bearish trend line on the hourly BTC/USD chart (Kraken feed) with resistance near $89,000, which also lines up with the next technical hurdle. If BTC can push through $89,000 and hold, the rebound could extend toward $90,000, with follow-through targets at $91,000 and $91,500. But until price clears that $88,000–$89,000 zone, rallies are at risk of being sold rather than chased. If BTC fails to reclaim resistance, the downside path is clear(h3) The near-term bear case is simple: if Bitcoin can’t climb back above the $87,000 area and keep traction, sellers may attempt another leg lower. Support levels line up like this: Immediate support: $85,500 First major support: $85,000 Next support: $83,500 Then $82,500 in the near term Below that, the major “don’t break this” level is still $80,000. If BTC slips under $80,000, the risk of acceleration to the downside increases significantly — not because it’s magic, but because it’s the kind of psychological and structural level that tends to trigger forced de-risking. Indicators: momentum still leans bearish(h3) The intraday indicators aren’t offering much comfort yet: Hourly MACD is losing pace in the bearish zone. Hourly RSI remains below 50, suggesting sellers still have the upper hand on short timeframes. So while the $85,000 defense held for now, the market hasn’t flipped bullish — it’s just stopped bleeding.
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