The New Zealand dollar loitered near 30-year highs on Monday, while the Aussie gave ground only grudgingly as foreign exchange investors held their nerve in the face of uncertainty over the US debt ceiling. The Aussie dollar eased to $1.0819, from $1.0851 in New York on Friday, as the danger of a US default prompted some profit taking. Congress has, so far, failed to achieve a budget as August 2 deadline looms.
The New Zealand dollar held firm at $0.8648, having struck a fresh 30-year peak of $0.8676. The kiwi is showing no sign of retreat, with resistance around the latest high and minor support around $0.8580. Against its kiwi neighbour, the Aussie fell to around NZ$1.2500, not far from a near 12-month trough of NZ$1.2471 struck last week on the divergent market rate outlook.