The Australian and New Zealand dollars stayed on the defensive on Wednesday following a big drop in Australian consumer confidence and after a top central banker warned of downside risks from Europe's debt crisis. The Aussie dollar stood at $1.0017, versus $1.0012 late in New York, having drifted between $0.9983 and $1.0031.
It has shed more than 2 percent in the past two sessions. Immediate support is seen around $0.9940, the 61.8 percent retracement of the November 23 to December 8 rally. The New Zealand dollar held steady around $0.7567, having slid from $0.7675 to $0.7554 on Tuesday.