The Australian and New Zealand dollars recouped some lost ground on Tuesday after Australia's central bank sounded resolutely upbeat on the economy as it held rates steady, confounding bears who had wagered on a more dovish outcome.
The Aussie dollar popped up to $0.7224, from $0.7188, after the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) ended its monthly policy meeting with scant change to its statement.
The currency hit a 20-month trough of $0.7165 on Monday amid turmoil in emerging markets and doubts about the outlook for global growth.
Speculators had thought the RBA might sound more cautious as a result, particularly given recent moves by some local banks to raise their mortgage rates.