• The Australian Dollar receives support from the hawkish sentiment surrounding the upcoming RBA monetary policy decision.
• The AUD could have received support as the PBoC injected liquidity into the banking system.
• The AUD/USD pair remains solid as the RBA is expected to keep Official Cash Rate steady at 4.35% on Tuesday.

The Australian Dollar (AUD) gains ground against the US Dollar (USD) despite the weaker Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) data released on Monday. The AUD/USD pair is likely appreciating due to the People’s Bank of China (PBoC) injecting liquidity into the banking system. As close trade partners, developments in the Chinese economy can have a substantial impact on Australian markets.

The People’s Bank of China (PBoC) injected CNY 74.5 billion in liquidity into the banking system via a 14-day reverse repo, with the rate lowered to 1.85% from 1.95%. Additionally, the Chinese central bank also injected CNY 160.1 billion in liquidity via a 7-day reverse repo, with the rate unchanged at 1.7%.

The AUD could also gain ground due to the hawkish expectations around the Reserve Bank of Australia’s (RBA) upcoming interest rate decision scheduled for Tuesday. The RBA is anticipated to keep the Official Cash Rate (OCR) steady at 4.35%, supported by robust labor market data and ongoing inflationary pressures.

The US Dollar (USD) may depreciate as Federal Reserve (Fed) policymakers predict an additional 75 basis points (bps) of rate cuts in 2024, following an aggressive 50 basis point rate cut to a 4.75-5.00% range last week.