Read this column for daily commentary of foreign exchange, interest rates and bourses. Friday 30th April 2010 AUD/USD and NZD/USD outlook next 24 hours: AUD peaks this month have been progressively lower, suggesting 0.9300 is an obstacle above today. The NZD’s overhead obstacle is 0.7250, which should be cleared during the week ahead if not today.

The US equity markets (futures and physical) set the better risk tone last night in the absence of meaningful updates regarding Greece et al. US company earnings for Q1 continued to shine, 78% beating consensus so far. The S&P500 is 1.3% higher, and the VIX measure of risk aversion has returned to a more stable volatility reading of 19. Greek, Portugese, Spanish and Irish government bond yields fell, while Germany rose slightly, suggesting risk switching.

The US dollar index slipped from the Sydney close from 82.30 to 81.90.
EUR rose from 1.3200 to 1.3280, positive confidence data helping. Safe haven yen underperformed the majors,
USD/JPY ranging around recent highs between 93.80 and 94.30. The outperformer was the BRL, rising 2.3% after Brazil’s central bank raised the policy interest rate by 75bp.
AUD left Sydney at 0.9260 and continued to 0.9295 before resting between 0.9260 and 0.9290.
The NZD also rose with global sentiment, and perhaps belatedly acknowledged the hawkishness of yesterday’s BNZ, rising to 0.7244 and resting around 0.7230.
AUD/NZD fell back to support around 1.2810, and is currently 1.2830.