Australian Dollar slides as AI sell-off rattles Wall Street

The Australian Dollar experienced a significant slide on Thursday, falling 0.11% as the US Dollar retreated from monthly highs. Safe-haven flows moved from the US Dollar to the Japanese Yen and the Swiss Franc due to Wall Street's losses and rising US yields. The AUD/USD traded at 0.6960 at the time of reporting. Market sentiment turned more negative as tech stocks fell following OpenAI's annual revenue, which was $20 billion below expectations.

This led to significant declines in major AI stocks. The US Dollar weakened in response to this report, causing the Australian Dollar to lose some of its earlier gains. However, the AUD remained the weakest currency among the G8 FX currencies. The US Dollar Index (DXY), which measures the dollar's performance against six currencies, dropped by 0.13% to 102.11, pressured by falling US Treasury yields.

Two Federal Reserve officials made headlines, while geopolitical events also played a role. Fed Governor Christopher Waller supported further rate hikes but emphasized they don't have to be consecutive, strengthening the case for the Fed holding rates steady in October. St. Louis Fed Governor Alberto Musalem stated that while inflation is high, a robust job market provides clues for the central bank to focus on reducing inflation above its 2% target.

In the US, economic indicators like Initial Jobless Claims and employment data released later in the week will influence the Australian Dollar's path. Currently, AUD/USD is at 0.6960 and maintaining a bearish short-term outlook, with support near 0.6912 and resistance around 0.7067. Technical analysis indicates that both the upside and downside have key barriers to break through.