AUD/USD extends its losing streak for the fourth consecutive day, trading around 0.6880 during the Asian hours on Friday. The pair recorded a two-month low of 0.6877, pressured by weakness in the Australian Dollar (AUD) as rising oil prices weigh on sentiment amid uncertainty surrounding United States (US)–Iran peace talks.
US President Donald Trump said earlier that Washington would pause attacks on Iran’s energy sector for 10 days, extending the previous April 6 deadline to allow room for negotiations. Trump suggested the decision followed a request from Iran. However, the Wall Street Journal reported that mediators say Iran denies making such a request, underscoring the fragility of the diplomatic process and the low likelihood of a near-term ceasefire.
Meanwhile, the Pentagon is considering plans to deploy up to 10,000 additional ground troops to the Middle East. Defence officials noted that the option is intended to enhance strategic flexibility, enabling rapid escalation if talks break down while maintaining a credible deterrent in the region.
On the monetary policy front, Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) Assistant Governor Christopher Kent warned on Thursday that policymakers may need to act to contain inflation as energy prices rise. Kent added that the board remains focused on achieving low, stable inflation and full employment, which could push up short-run neutral rates and necessitate tighter policy.
Federal Reserve (Fed) Governor Stephen Miran said on Thursday that reducing the size of the Fed’s balance sheet would support more effective interest rate policy. Miran outlined a potential path to shrink holdings by $1 trillion to $2 trillion, noting that a smaller balance sheet would give the Fed greater flexibility in future crises, while a larger one risks distorting markets.
US data offered little fresh direction, with Initial Jobless Claims coming in exactly as expected at 210K. Attention now turns to Friday’s University of Michigan (UoM) consumer sentiment and one-year inflation expectations.
Risk sentiment FAQs
In the world of financial jargon the two widely used terms “risk-on” and “risk off” refer to the level of risk that investors are willing to stomach during the period referenced. In a “risk-on” market, investors are optimistic about the future and more willing to buy risky assets. In a “risk-off” market investors start to ‘play it safe’ because they are worried about the future, and therefore buy less risky assets that are more certain of bringing a return, even if it is relatively modest.
Typically, during periods of “risk-on”, stock markets will rise, most commodities – except Gold – will also gain in value, since they benefit from a positive growth outlook. The currencies of nations that are heavy commodity exporters strengthen because of increased demand, and Cryptocurrencies rise. In a “risk-off” market, Bonds go up – especially major government Bonds – Gold shines, and safe-haven currencies such as the Japanese Yen, Swiss Franc and US Dollar all benefit.
The Australian Dollar (AUD), the Canadian Dollar (CAD), the New Zealand Dollar (NZD) and minor FX like the Ruble (RUB) and the South African Rand (ZAR), all tend to rise in markets that are “risk-on”. This is because the economies of these currencies are heavily reliant on commodity exports for growth, and commodities tend to rise in price during risk-on periods. This is because investors foresee greater demand for raw materials in the future due to heightened economic activity.
The major currencies that tend to rise during periods of “risk-off” are the US Dollar (USD), the Japanese Yen (JPY) and the Swiss Franc (CHF). The US Dollar, because it is the world’s reserve currency, and because in times of crisis investors buy US government debt, which is seen as safe because the largest economy in the world is unlikely to default. The Yen, from increased demand for Japanese government bonds, because a high proportion are held by domestic investors who are unlikely to dump them – even in a crisis. The Swiss Franc, because strict Swiss banking laws offer investors enhanced capital protection.
