Forex News: NZ Dollar Rises On Upbeat NZIER Q4 Business

NZ Dollar Rises On Upbeat NZIER Q4 Business Confidence

(RTTNews) - The New Zealand dollar strengthened against other major currencies in the Asian session on Tuesday, after data showed that the New Zealand's business confidence soared to the highest level since March 2014.

According to the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research's (NZIER) Quarterly Survey of Business Opinion, domestic business confidence increased from 18 percent in the third quarter to 48 percent in the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2025, its best level since March 2014.

NZIER Deputy Chief Executive Christina Leung said that the poll indicates that the economy is finally benefiting from reduced interest rates, and the recovery is gathering momentum.

Asian stock markets traded higher, extending the recent record global rally in equities with particular gains in Japan and Hong Kong, boosted by strength in mining and technology stocks. Traders remain optimistic about the outlook for interest rates.

While the U.S. Fed is widely expected to leave interest rates unchanged at its next meeting, the central bank is still likely to cut rates by at least another quarter point in the coming months.

As concerns over the Fed's independence deepen, traders also continue to exercise caution. Concerns about the Fed's independence were raised when federal prosecutors threatened to arrest Fed Chair Jerome Powell for his testimony before Congress on a building refurbishment.

Additionally, investors are anticipating a decision from the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday regarding the legitimacy of President Donald Trump's trade measures.

In the Asian trading today, the NZ dollar rose to more than a 1-year high of 91.80 against the yen and a 6-day high of 2.0174 against the euro, from yesterday's closing quotes of 91.28 and 2.0216, respectively. If the kiwi extends its uptrend, it is likely to find resistance around 93.00 against the yen and 2.01 against the euro.

Against the U.S. and the Australian dollars, the kiwi advanced to a 5-day high of 0.5780 and a 1-week high of 1.1609 from yesterday's closing quotes of 0.5772 and 1.1628, respectively. On the upside, 0.58 against the greenback and 1.15 against the aussie are seen as the next resistance level for the kiwi.

Looking ahead, U.S. NFIB business optimism index for December, U.S. ADP weekly employment data, Canada building permits for November, U.S. CPI data for December, U.S. new home sales for December, U.S. Budget Statement for December are due to be released in the New York session.

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