The New Zealand dollar edged higher to around $0.593, hovering at a one-week high, as investors reassessed the Reserve Bank's policy outlook amid rising global inflation risks. The recent spike in oil prices, driven by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, has fueled concerns that inflationary pressures could intensify. Analysts noted that inflation in New Zealand may not slow as much as the RBNZ anticipates, raising expectations that policy tightening may need to occur sooner. Markets are now almost fully pricing in a 25-basis-point rate increase in September, along with more than a 70% chance of a follow-up hike in December. This marks a shift from the central bank’s recent projections, which suggest that even a single rate increase this year is not fully guaranteed. Meanwhile, comments from President Donald Trump earlier this week offered some relief to financial markets, after he described the Iran war as a “short-term excursion” and said it could end very soon.
The NZD/USD exchange rate rose to 0.5945 on March 11, 2026, up 0.29% from the previous session. Over the past month, the New Zealand Dollar has weakened 1.51%, but it's up by 3.85% over the last 12 months. Historically, the New Zealand Dollar reached an all time high of 1.49 in October of 1973. New Zealand Dollar - data, forecasts, historical chart - was last updated on March 11 of 2026.
The NZD/USD exchange rate rose to 0.5945 on March 11, 2026, up 0.29% from the previous session. Over the past month, the New Zealand Dollar has weakened 1.51%, but it's up by 3.85% over the last 12 months. The New Zealand Dollar is expected to trade at 0.59 by the end of this quarter, according to Trading Economics global macro models and analysts expectations. Looking forward, we estimate it to trade at 0.61 in 12 months time.