AUD/USD Battered As COVID-19 Delta, FOMC Minutes Send the Greenback Flying

Published by
Written By: Eno Ikenna Eteng
Share
    Summary:
  • The AUD/USD is trading lower after the FOMC minutes indicate that a late 2021 tapering commencement is going to be a reality.

With the FOMC minutes indicating that the commencement of tapering in late 2021 is now a real possibility, the US Dollar has gained broadly across the board, putting commodity dollars on the back foot. The AUD/USD is down 0.78% on the day, despite upbeat employment data.

Data released in the early hours of Thursday indicate that Australia’s unemployment rate dropped from 4.9% to 4.6%, exceeding market expectations of an increase to 5.0%. However, the Aussie economy added only 2,200 jobs, which despite being well above the expectation of a 

contraction of 42,500 jobs did not match the previous 29,100 job additions. 

This has left the Australian Dollar vulnerable to other woes from the COVID-19 delta variant, which has continued to rise locally. The FOMC minutes content showed several Fed policymakers angling to commence tapering early.

Technical Levels to Watch

The AUD/USD price is currently testing the 0.71471 support, which has so far held firm. A breakdown of this level allows 0.70657 to come into the picture. 0.70034 is a psychological price level below this area, and a breakdown of that level allows the price to dip to 13-month lows at 0.68302.

On the other hand, a bounce on 0.71471 allows for a reprieve towards 0.72182. A further advance beyond this barrier brings 0.73382 and 0.73724 into the mix as potential additional targets to the north. 

AUD/USD: Daily Chart

Written By: Eno Ikenna Eteng

Eno's work as a technical analyst and author since 2009 is well recognized in the industry and on several freelance platforms. He is also a member of the prestigious UK Society of Technical Analysts and a top-ranked participant in the Basic Investment Banking and Asset Management simulations with Amplify Trading.

Published by
Written By: Eno Ikenna Eteng