NZD/USD stays directed towards 0.6710 support after softer China data, US NFP eyed

• NZD/USD braces for the biggest daily loss of the week, stays pressured around the yearly low.
• China Caixin Services PMI, Composite PMI ease in November.
• Risk appetite sours as US-China tussles regain market attention, Fedspeak favors faster tapering.
• US jobs report will be the key ahead of the Fed blackout period.

NZD/USD remains depressed around the intraday low of 0.6786 following the release of China’s Caixin PMI data during early Friday. In doing so, the kiwi pair portrays the market’s sour sentiment, as well as reacts to the softer data, ahead of the key US Nonfarm Payrolls (NFP).

China’s Caixin Services PMI for November came in below 53.8 figures to 52.1 while the Composite PMI also dropped from 51.5 to 51.2 during the stated month. In doing so, the private activity gauges differ from the official readings published earlier in the week.

Read: Chinese Caixin Services PMIs expand at a slower pace

Mostly adding to the bearish bias is the broad US dollar strength amid hopes of faster Federal Reserve (Fed) tapering after the policymakers sound hawkish in their latest appearances, before the silent period starts from this Saturday. Among the key promoters of faster rolling back of easy money, also conveying reflation fears, were Federal Reserve (Fed) Bank of San Francisco President Mary Daly and Richmond President Thomas Barkin.

Not only the hawkish Fedspeak but the softer-than-expected prints of the US Initial and Continuing Jobless Claims for the week, as well as downbeat Challenger Job Cuts for November, also underpinned the hopes of faster Fed tapering and favored the yields and USD.

It should be observed that the Wall Street benchmarks also consolidated weekly losses the previous day but the S&P 500 Futures and Asia-Pacific stocks dwindle during early Friday.

The reason could be linked to the hopes of the US policymakers to avoid a government shutdown, which is looming for Saturday. Also positive for the kiwi prices could be the recent optimism over finding the cure of the South African variant of the coronavirus, dubbed as Omicron.

Alternatively, the recent EU-US dislike for China and comments by Beijing’s Ambassador to the US, over phase one deal and tariffs, seem to challenge the risk appetite. On the same line were cautious sentiment ahead of the US jobs report.

Read: US Nonfarm Payrolls November Preview: Can we agree the labor market is healing?

Technical analysis

In addition to a clear downside break of a 14-month-old rising support line around 0.6900, as sustained trading below 61.8% Fibonacci retracement (Fibo.) level of August 2020 to February 2021 upside, near 0.6860, also keeps NZD/USD bears hopeful. That said, the yearly low of around 0.6770 may act as immediate support to watch during the quote’s weakness. However, major attention will be given to a convergence of the descending support line from late August and 78.6% Fibo. level near 0.6710.