The NZDUSD opens at 0.8430 this morning.
The NZD is under pressure this morning due to heightened global risk aversion.
East-West tensions have racketed higher after reports that 93% of votes in the Crimean referendum supported moving their allegiance to Russia - the US and European Union has rejected the result.
More troops and armor were shipped into Crimea, as Moscow is seemingly ignoring Western pleas to back away from a Cold War style confrontation.
The US Federal Reserve are expected to announce another USD$10 billion cut to its bond-buying program at its interest rate policy setting meeting Thursday morning (NZ time).
NZ Current Account data (Wednesday) and GDP numbers (Thursday) are the most significant data events scheduled on the domestic calendar this week.
Global equity markets were mostly lower on the day - Dow -0.3%, Nikkei -3.3%, Shanghai -0.8%, FTSE -0.4%, DAX +0.4%
Gold prices rose to USD$1382 - a 6-month high. Oil prices gained 0.7%.
----------------------------------------------------------
To subscribe to our free daily Currency Rate Sheet and News email, enter your email address here.
----------------------------------------------------------
Dan Bell is the senior currency strategist at HiFX in Auckland. You can contact him here »
We welcome your comments below. If you are not already registered, please register to comment.
Remember we welcome robust, respectful and insightful debate. We don't welcome abusive or defamatory comments and will de-register those repeatedly making such comments. Our current comment policy is here.