The Australian Dollar remains firm against the US Dollar after the Federal Reserve held rates steady, despite US inflation staying well above its 2% target. The decision was not unanimous: two members dissented in favour of a quarter-percentage-point rate hike. The AUD/USD trades at 0.7056.
Societe Generale analysts note that NZD/USD is testing the lower boundary of its multi-month range at 0.5560/0.5550 following the RBNZ's decision to hold the OCR at 2.75%, despite expectations of a 25bp hike.
Deutsche Bank strategists highlight that US equities advanced on strong data and a buoyant tech mood, with the Nasdaq and Mag-7 moving higher alongside a sharp rise in the Philly semiconductor index. European equities also gained, though the FTSE 100 lagged on HSBC earnings.