The AUD/USD pair was closed at 0.70309 after placing a high of 0.70757 and a low of 0.70021. The AUD/USD pair extended its previous daily losses on Thursday and dropped further below towards its lowest level since May 19th. The decline in the AUD/USD pair was understandable ahead of the next week’s massive risk events. The Reserve Bank of Australia and the US election on the same day. The currency pair started rushing towards the crucial support at the 0.700 handle due to the strength of the US dollar.
The US dollar was strong across the board ahead of the US Presidential election on November 3rd due to many factors including the latest uncertainty over the next round of US stimulus measures. The House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has weighed on market hopes for the successive CARES package by saying that the Trump administration would have to answer her on many critical issues before getting a consensus on the US stimulus package.
The investors that were waiting for elections to come next week and after that a stimulus measure will be passes, were disappointed after these comments and their hopes vanished that the same stalemate will continue even after the elections. These concerns weighed on market sentiment and dragged the AUD/USD pair on the downside.
On the data front, at 05:30 GMT, the Import Prices for the quarter dropped to -3.5% from the projected -2.1% and weighed on the Australian dollar and added in the losses of AUD/USD pair. The NAB Quarterly Business Confidence came in as -10 against the previous -15 in the third quarter.
From the US side, at 17:30 GMT, the Advanced GDP for the quarter rose to 33.1% from the forecasted 32.0% and supported the US dollar. The Unemployment Claims for the previous week fell to 751K from the projected 773K and supported the US dollar. At 17:32 GMT, the Advance GDP Price Index for the quarter surged to 3.6% from the forecasted 2.9% and supported the US dollar. At 19:00 GMT, the Pending Home Sales for September was chopped down to -2.2% from the anticipated 3.1% and weighed on the US dollar.
Most of the macroeconomic data from the US like GDP and Unemployment Claims came in better than expected and supported the US dollar that ultimately weighed on AUD/USD pair on Thursday.
Daily Technical levels
Support Resistance
0.7002 0.7122
0.6959 0.7201
0.6881 0.7243
Pivot point: 0.7080
The AUD/USD pair is trading with a bearish bias below 0.7047 level, the resistance level that’s extended downward trendline support area of 0.7047 level. Continuation of a selling trend in the AUD/USD pair may lead the AUD/USD price towards the support area of 0.7005, and below this, the AUD/USD pair may find next support around 0.6967. I will consider opening a selling trade below 0.7069 area today. Good luck!
