The New Zealand dollar fell, lagging behind other commodity currencies, as traders are wary the Reserve Bank may emphasise its willingness to ease monetary policy when it meets this week.
The kiwi slid to 64.76 US cents at 8am in Wellington, from 64.90 cents at the New York close and 65.24 cents at 5pm on Friday. The trade-weighted index fell to 71.51 from 71.98 on Friday.
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The US dollar index, which measures the greenback against a basket of currencies, gained as global equities and oil prices improved, renewing market appetite for riskier assets. However the kiwi lagged behind other commodity-linked currencies as traders eye this week's Reserve Bank meeting, where governor Graeme Wheeler's bias may be leaning more towards future interest rate cuts amid continuing weak inflation.
See live rates for the NZ-US $ below. Click for more information: