{
  "id": 19597681,
  "title": "New Zealand Dollar faces pressure against US Dollar as traders consider bigger Fed rate hike",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/12/new-zealand-dollar-faces-pressure-against-us-dollar-as-traders",
  "topic": "finance",
  "section": "Finance & Markets",
  "published": "2026-11-12T03:19:47.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "FXStreet",
    "slug": "fxstreet",
    "url": "https://www.fxstreet.com/news/new-zealand-dollar-faces-pressure-against-us-dollar-as-traders-consider-bigger-fed-rate-hike-202611120319"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The New Zealand Dollar (NZD) is experiencing downward pressure against the US Dollar (USD) on Thursday, maintaining its two-day decline near 0.5560 during Asian trading hours. The Kiwi currency struggles as the US Dollar maintains its dominance, with markets incorporating potential interest rate hikes by the Federal Reserve (Fed) in December. The US Dollar Index (DXY), which measures the Greenback's value against six major currencies, is up 0.18% at around 103.06, the highest level observed in over 18 months. Speculation about a 50 basis points (bps) rate increase by the Fed has gained momentum following comments from Waller, a former Fed official, ahead of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) report. Analysts at MUFG suggest this shift in Fed expectations is driven by Waller's remarks rather than the CPI data itself. Fed Governor Waller's recent more hawkish tone, as indicated by an FXS Speechtracker score of 9/10, compared to the 7.3/10 historical average, underscores a strong inclination towards tighter monetary policy. The conditional support for a half-point hike in December if October's core CPI exceeds 0.3% signals a significant response to potential inflation data. Elevated expectations for further tightening, along with concerns about insufficient policy restrictiveness and the need for higher real rates, bolster the Dollar's position. Conversely, Waller's cautious outlook on near-term AI-driven productivity gains limits relief from inflationary pressures. The FXS Fed Sentiment Index increased by 3.17 points to 145.50, firmly in hawkish territory, signaling a strong bias toward further rate hikes. This sentiment aligns with the higher FXS Speechtracker reading, reinforcing the likelihood of a more aggressive Fed communication strategy. The CME FedWatch tool currently shows a 10% probability of a 50 bps rate hike during the December meeting. In the context of the New Zealand Dollar, the Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) is expected to raise its Official Cash Rate (OCR) by 25 bps to 3% in December, following a steady stance in October. This adjustment comes as the RBNZ indicates that \"tighter monetary policy might be necessary\" due to persistent upward pressure on inflation. Trading at 0.5559, the NZD/USD pair is declining below the 20-period exponential moving average (EMA) at 0.5618, indicating a bearish short-term bias. The pair trades under this short-term trend, suggesting that rallies are limited, while the Relative Strength Index (14) remains at 39, signaling weak but not extreme selling pressure after the latest decline. The immediate resistance level for a potential rally is the 20-day EMA at 0.5618, which would need to be breached for any corrective rebound. A failure to regain this level would keep NZD/USD vulnerable to further downside, with support likely to be found at lower historical price levels not reflected in the current technical indicators.",
  "summary": "The New Zealand Dollar (NZD) is under pressure against the US Dollar (USD) on Thursday, holding onto its two day’s losses at around 0.5560 in the Asian trade.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 7,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "CNA - Business",
        "title": "Dollar rises to 19-month high as Fed hike bets grow, yen softens",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/12/dollar-rises-to-19-month-high-as-fed-hike-bets-grow-yen-softens-19595293",
        "published": "2026-11-12T00:05:12.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Bloomberg",
        "title": "Gold Holds Below $4,000 as Market Looks Ahead to Fed Rate Hike",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/12/gold-holds-below-4-000-as-market-looks-ahead-to-fed-rate-hike",
        "published": "2026-11-12T00:12:52.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Economic Times - Top News",
        "title": "Gold slips as strong US inflation data bolsters dollar, Fed hike expectations",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/12/gold-slips-as-strong-us-inflation-data-bolsters-dollar-fed-hike",
        "published": "2026-11-12T00:56:46.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Business Times - Companies & Markets",
        "title": "Gold falls below US$4,000 as traders assess inflation, Fed remarks",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/12/gold-falls-below-us-4-000-as-traders-assess-inflation-fed-remarks",
        "published": "2026-11-12T02:04:54.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Business Recorder",
        "title": "Dollar rises to 19-month high as Fed hike bets grow, yen softens",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/12/dollar-rises-to-19-month-high-as-fed-hike-bets-grow-yen-softens-19592657",
        "published": "2026-11-12T03:21:54.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Free Malaysia Today",
        "title": "Dollar rises to 19-month high as Fed hike bets grow, yen softens",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/12/dollar-rises-to-19-month-high-as-fed-hike-bets-grow-yen-softens-19596518",
        "published": "2026-11-12T03:39:56.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}