New Zealand Dollar holds gains above 0.5550 amid New Zealand election uncertainty

New Zealand's currency, the kiwi, experienced a rise to US$0.5557 on Monday following a close election weekend that weakened the government. The US dollar remained near a 1-1/2-year high versus the euro and a seven-month high on the Australian dollar, driven by strong US jobs data and speculation of higher interest rates. The US dollar index stayed steady at 102.20 early Monday after jumping around 0.7% on Friday due to accelerated US jobs growth and a decline in the unemployment rate.

The euro rose marginally to US$1.11485, while the Australian dollar climbed 0.3% to US$0.6875. The Bank of Japan's governor anticipated inflation to remain near the 2% target, with some upside risks. The Federal Reserve's likelihood of raising rates on December 9 rose to 79%, up from 71% the previous week. Despite global tech stock declines due to AI investment concerns, economic data continues to exceed expectations, supporting the dollar's attractiveness.

Fed officials' statements on Friday backed the possibility of a rate hike. In New Zealand, preliminary election results put Prime Minister Christopher Luxon's National Party, alongside ACT New Zealand and New Zealand First, at 67 seats out of 131, just one vote shy of a majority majority. Final results are expected by November 27, after which coalition negotiations will likely commence.