The health of the Chinese economy, its largest trading partner, is a factor, as well as inflation in Australia, its growth rate and Trade Balance. Market sentiment – whether investors are taking on more risky assets (risk-on) or seeking safe-havens (risk-off) – is also a factor, with risk-on positive for AUD. In addition, demand for natural resources, especially from other Asian countries, such as China and India, affects AUD exchange rates. In 2019, the AUD was the fifth most exchanged currency in the world and accounted for about 7% of trade in foreign exchange transactions worldwide.

  1. The Australian dollar is the official currency in Australia and in several independent countries and territories in the South Pacific, including Papua New Guinea, Christmas Island, the Cocos Islands, Nauru, Tuvalu, and Norfolk Island.
  2. As the 5th most traded currency in the world, the Australian dollar is also referred to as buck, dough, or the Aussie.
  3. Check live rates, send money securely, set rate alerts, receive notifications and more.
  4. Keep in mind that exchanging currency often comes with added fees that a conversion calculator won’t be able to predict.

Before Federation in 1901, the six colonies that comprised Australia had separate currencies, all of which closely replicated the British currency system, and were usually exchangeable with each other on a one-to-one basis. Hence Federation was not seen as urgently requiring a single, unified currency. For another 10 years, colonial banknotes and coins continued to be the main circulating currencies. Most of the major developed economies trade in tandem with each other (due at least in part to the extensive trade linkages between them), but Australia’s economy is different.

What key factors drive the Australian Dollar?

This has led traders to factor in the possibility of as many as two rate cuts from the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) throughout the year. The prevailing risk-off sentiment is adding further downward pressure on the AUD/USD pair, as market participants exercise caution amid heightened tensions in the Middle East. The AUD also benefits from Australia’s typically conservative monetary policy. For instance, stop loss fibonacci the Reserve Bank of Australia did not intervene with economic stimulus to the same degree as the U.S., European Central Bank, and the Bank of Japan following the Great Recession. This contributed to higher interest rates in Australia relative to other countries, inviting currency trades to long AUD relative to JPY, for instance, based on the interest-rate differential between these countries.

AUD exchange rates

In contrast, back in December, swaps initially implied over an 80% chance of a rate trim in March. The Royal Australian Mint also has an international reputation for producing quality numismatic coins. Issues expanded into greater numbers in the 1990s and the 21st century, responding to collector demand. Commemorative designs have also been featured on the circulating two dollar, one dollar, and 20 cent coins. The other option is to do the calculation manually using a simple mathematical formula.

Early Currency in Australia

When New South Wales was first established in 1788 the English Pound was the official currency, although Spanish Dollars were used quite regularly. In 1813, to try to discourage the illegal use of Spanish Dollars, the centers of the coins were cut out; they became known as ‘holey dollars’ and the cores were called ‘dumps’; this was Australia’s first form of coinage. Currency rates are notoriously difficult to predict, and most models seldom work for more than brief periods of time. While economics-based models are seldom useful to short-term traders, economic conditions do shape long-term trends.

Though Australia’s debt is not large as a percentage of GDP, increases in government spending are putting this on the table as a potential concern. Along those lines, the strength of the Aussie dollar is closely tied to its exposure to Asia and the commodity cycle, as well as a somewhat counter-cyclical position relative to the currencies of other major currencies. The demand in China, India, and to a lesser extent Japan, for natural resources, has pushed the Aussie dollar up in past cycles, only to fall later as commodity demand wanes. China is Australia’s largest trading partner so the health of the Chinese economy is a major influence on the value of the Australian Dollar (AUD). When the Chinese economy is doing well it purchases more raw materials, goods and services from Australia, lifting demand for the AUD, and pushing up its value. The opposite is the case when the Chinese economy is not growing as fast as expected.

In everyday Australian parlance, these coins collectively are referred to as “gold coins”. 1 and 2 cent coins were discontinued in 1991 and withdrawn from circulation in https://traderoom.info/ 1992; since then cash transactions have been rounded to the nearest 5 cents. The Australian economy and the AUD often benefit during periods of rising commodity prices.

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You can send a variety of international currencies to multiple countries reliably, quickly, and safely, and at a rate cheaper than most banks. That said, even those relatively high rates were not enough to prevent a housing bubble in Australia. It is also worth noting that the RBA is often challenged by the unpredictability of the commodity cycle and its impact upon the county’s trade balance and capital account.

The China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing (CFLP) has released the monthly Non-Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI), indicating an improvement in the performance of China’s service sector for January. The reading came in at 50.7, slightly surpassing the expected figure of 50.6. Concurrently, the Manufacturing PMI also demonstrated improvement, reaching 49.2, meeting the anticipated value and advancing from the previous reading of 49. These improved figures could help in limiting the losses of the Aussie Dollar, given that Australia and China are close trade partners. Since the end of China’s large-scale purchases of Australian commodities in 2013, however, the Australian dollar’s value versus the US dollar has since plunged to $0.88 as of end-2013, and to as low as $0.57 in March 2020. Assuming no other changes, the Australian dollar will hold its value, and the relative value of the pair increases due to a strengthening of the Australian dollar when compared to the U.S. dollar.

Unique Factors for the Australian Dollar

This post has everything you need to know about converting AUD to USD, including where to secure the best exchange rates and how to avoid paying high fees on your conversion. The Australian Dollar is currently the fifth-most-traded currency in world foreign exchange markets. It is also used in the Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands and Norfolk Island, as well as the independent Pacific Island states of Kiribati, Nauru and Tuvalu. Banks often advertise free or low-cost transfers, but add a hidden markup to the exchange rate.

Australia’s economy is driven by commodities (both metals and grains), and reports on crop planting, weather, harvests, mine output, and metal prices all can move the Aussie dollar. Fortunately, this data is not hard to find – Australia’s Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES) produces regular reports that are freely available on the internet. Among the developed countries, Australia stands out for its heavy reliance upon commodities. Mining (including energy) represents over 8.5% of the country’s GDP, with a heavy emphasis on iron ore.

Historical Exchange Rates For Australian Dollar to United States Dollar

The AUD is managed by the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) is the central bank of Australia, which sets the country’s monetary policy and issues and manages the Australian money supply. The bank, entirely owned by the Australian government, was established in 1960. The AUD/USD is affected by factors that influence the value of the Australian dollar and/or the U.S. dollar in relation to each other and other currencies. AUD/USD (sometimes written AUDUSD) is the abbreviation for the Australian dollar and U.S. dollar currency pair or cross.