New Zealand Dollar strides higher as risk-on sentiment persists

• The New Zealand Dollar continues cruising higher on broadly positive market sentiment.
• The Kiwi rises in line with global equities as Oil continues its downtrend and US PMIs come in mixed.
• NZD/USD ends the week on a high note, rising to within close proximity of the 200-day SMA at 0.6100.

The New Zealand Dollar (NZD) takes another stride higher on Friday as the positive market mood continues and a new government takes its seat in Wellington, bringing weeks of coalition talks to a conclusion.  

Market sentiment is finding a boost from falling Oil prices as OPEC+ countries argue over who should shoulder expected supply cuts. Meanwhile, in the US, according to inventory figures, Oil stocks are building, putting further downward pressure on prices. This comes as good news to cash-strapped motorists and businesses facing rising input costs. Global PMI data released during the week was overall positive, further elevating the mood.  

As a commodity currency, the Kiwi is sensitive to changing perceptions of global growth and generally reflects investor sentiment. 

Daily digest market movers: Bright market mood fuels New Zealand Dollar 

• The New Zealand Dollar rises, benefiting from positive risk appetite amid declining Oil prices and upbeat macroeconomic data. 
• Bad news regarding Chinese asset manager Zhongzhi, another fatality of the China property bubble, was not enough to raise significant concerns about the stability of the Chinese economy. Although the company announced it was insolvent with liabilities totalling between $58 and $64 billion, according to a report by Reuters, government intervention is likely to prevent contagion. 
• "Financial regulators are almost certain to intervene aggressively if there's any sign that Zhongzhi's troubles are spreading," said Christopher Beddor, deputy director of China research at Gavekal Dragonomics, quoted by Reuters.
• Preliminary Purchasing Manager’ Index (PMI) data for November in the Eurozone and UK both showed better-than-expected performances. In the US, PMIs were mixed, with the Services index roundly beating estimates at 50.8 versus the 50.4 expected, but Manufacturing falling behind, with a reading of 49.4 after 49.8 was forecast.  
• The center-right New Zealand National Party finally formed a government with its coalition partners, the populist New Zealand First party and libertarian ACT New Zealand, bringing almost six years of Labour Party reign to an end. 

New Zealand Dollar technical analysis: NZD/USD breaks but does not hold above key resistance

NZD/USD – the number of US Dollars one New Zealand Dollar can buy – pushes back up to within a hair’s breadth of the 200-day Simple Moving Average (SMA) on Friday. 

New Zealand Dollar vs US Dollar: Daily Chart

The pair is in a short and medium-term bullish trend, which continues to bias longs.  

The 200-day Simple Moving Average at 0.6100 (just above the current market level at 0.6084) is likely to provide a major resistance level to further upside, so price will probably stall there at first contact.

The MACD momentum indicator is rising in line with price suggesting the uptrend is healthy. 

A possible bullish inverse head-and shoulders (H&S) pattern may have formed at the lows. The pattern is identified by the labels applied to the chart above. L and R stand for the left and right shoulders, whilst H stands for the head. The target for the inverse H&S is at 0.6215. This adds more weight to the bullish argument.  

The long-term trend is still bearish, however, suggesting a risk of a recapitulation remains.