The Reserve Financial institution of Australia (RBA) shocked the markets with a choice to maintain rates of interest on maintain at 3.85% as a substitute of slicing to three.60%. How did our watchlist setups for this top-tier catalyst fare?
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The Setup
What We Have been Watching: RBA Financial Coverage Assertion (July 2025)
The Expectation: Rate of interest minimize from 3.85% to three.60%
Knowledge end result: Charges maintained at 3.85% whereas RBA Governor Bullock reiterated “cautious, gradual stance” on easing
Market setting surrounding the occasion: Impartial to risk-on; Easing geopolitical considerations and cautious risk-taking as merchants began shrugging off tariff considerations
Occasion Final result:
The RBA delivered a shock resolution to maintain charges on maintain at 3.85% regardless of the market consensus of a 0.25% rate of interest minimize. The choice was made in a break up 6-3 vote, which additionally marked the primary time the central financial institution printed its voting breakdown.
Key factors from the RBA assertion:
Latest month-to-month CPI knowledge got here in “barely stronger than anticipated”
Board desires extra affirmation that inflation stays on observe for two.5%
Cited heightened uncertainty about international commerce insurance policies and home demand
In the course of the press convention, RBA Governor Bullock recommended additional cuts stay doubtless as soon as they acquire extra confidence within the inflation trajectory. The central financial institution famous that with charges already 50 foundation factors decrease than 5 months in the past, they might afford to attend for added knowledge.
Elementary Bias Triggered: Bullish AUD Setups
Market sentiment swung between warning and optimism all through the week as merchants navigated tariff uncertainties forward of the July 9 deadline.
The week opened with danger aversion after Trump threatened 10% tariffs on BRICS nations and introduced 25% levies on Japan and South Korea by August 1. This sparked safe-haven flows into gold and the greenback whereas pressuring danger property.
A quick bump in risk-taking was seen main as much as the RBA resolution when Trump talked about in a press briefing that the August 1 deadline is agency however “topic to negotiations” and that he’s “open to different concepts,” whilst extra tariff letters have been being despatched out.
A turning level got here with the FOMC minutes launch on Wednesday, revealing a rising divide amongst policymakers on the dimensions and timing of future rate of interest cuts. This dovish shock triggered a pointy drop in Treasury yields and broad greenback weak point whereas lifting equities and bitcoin to new highs above $116,000.
Vitality markets noticed vital volatility, with WTI crude initially surging on Houthi assaults within the Pink Sea and OPEC+ manufacturing will increase, earlier than reversing on weak Chinese language demand forecasts. The Australian greenback emerged as a star performer after the RBA shocked markets by holding charges at 3.85%, whereas Fed officers’ feedback about potential price cuts regardless of tariff-induced inflation saved danger urge for food supported, no less than till Trump hit Canada with a 35% risk on Friday!
AUD/CHF: Internet Bullish AUD Occasion end result + Threat-On State of affairs = Arguably greatest odds of a web constructive end result
AUD/CHF 1-hour Foreign exchange Chart by TradingView
In our watchlist, we anticipated that AUD/CHF would discover assist on the backside of its descending channel in case the RBA shocked with a choice to carry as a substitute of slicing by 0.25%. Our thesis was primarily based on a mixture of potential risk-on flows from easing international commerce tensions and dovish expectations for the SNB.
Though the pair already bounced off the channel backside forward of the occasion on account of cautious optimism amid the U.S. tariff deadline extension, the precise occasion nonetheless triggered a bullish AUD response and a sustained rally to the channel resistance and past.
AUD/CHF hovered close to the highest of its channel as risk-off flows picked up following affirmation that the tariff deal deadline was pushed to August 1. That extension saved uncertainty in play and inspired some merchants to lock in good points.
The subsequent day, the FOMC minutes confirmed that “a few” members have been in favor of a July price minimize. That weighed on U.S. 10-year yields and the greenback, giving the Swiss franc a raise as safe-haven demand returned. AUD/CHF pulled again towards pre-event ranges close to the S1 assist.
Nonetheless, the pair discovered its footing and staged a stronger breakout from the channel later within the week, supported by dovish Fed commentary that saved the door open for decrease U.S. borrowing prices. Merchants additionally shrugged off contemporary tariff threats and as a substitute priced in stronger demand for equities and renewed hopes for U.S. commerce offers.
Not Eligible to maneuver past Watchlist – Bearish AUD Setups and GBP/AUD quick technique
GBP/AUD: Bullish AUD Occasion end result + Threat-Off State of affairs
GBP/AUD 4-hour Foreign exchange Chart by TradingView
Whereas the occasion end result supported a bearish setup on GBP/AUD, the broader danger temper heading into the RBA resolution didn’t fairly match. Markets have been leaning optimistic, doubtless hoping for one more “TACO” state of affairs or progress on commerce offers after the tariff deadline was pushed again.
Nonetheless, the RBA shock would have performed out properly for the pair, which had already bounced off the vary resistance zone close to R1 and the two.1000 main psychological degree we had our eyes on.
GBP/AUD saved the bearish momentum going beneath the pivot level, paused for a fast pullback, then resumed its slide all the way down to the vary assist at S1 and past.
Urge for food for European currencies pale as U.S.-EU commerce talks stay unsure and the U.S. rolled out extra tariff warnings. In the meantime, danger sentiment turned extra constructive, and merchants dismissed the unimplemented threats, giving commodity currencies just like the Aussie a contemporary increase. Lastly, GBP was knocked decrease on Friday due to weaker-than-expected UK GDP updates, sending GBP/AUD to contemporary intraweek lows just a few hours forward of the shut.
AUD/NZD Brief: Internet Bearish AUD Occasion end result + Threat-Off State of affairs
AUD/NZD 1-hour Foreign exchange Chart by TradingView
AUD/NZD dipped towards the Pivot Level degree forward of the RBA resolution, however that transfer wasn’t actually concerning the RBA’s stance. The drop doubtless mirrored broader danger jitters tied to tariff uncertainty, particularly after the U.S. slapped a 50 p.c tariff on copper imports, a transfer that weighed on the Aussie earlier than the occasion even kicked off.
As soon as the RBA shocked markets by holding charges regular, AUD/NZD shortly popped increased, leaping from round 1.0825 to above 1.0870. The choice marked a transparent coverage divergence from the RBNZ, which had saved its dovish tone intact this week.
From there, the pair prolonged its good points because the Aussie drew extra assist from the pickup in danger urge for food than the New Zealand greenback did. Optimism over commerce offers, contemporary Fed price minimize speculations, and broad USD weak point gave the forex a strong tailwind.
AUD/JPY Lengthy: Bearish AUD Occasion end result + Threat-On State of affairs
AUD/JPY 1-hour Foreign exchange Chart by TradingView
Our unique dialogue on AUD/JPY was invalidated straight away with the RBA shock, however for individuals who adjusted to the brand new info and tailored to it, probably may have seen favorable outcomes.
In contrast to in our technique setup, AUD/JPY didn’t drop nearer to the channel assist earlier than the RBA resolution. The 94.40 degree held agency, and as a substitute of dipping, the pair turned increased forward of the occasion because the yen took successful following the U.S. announcement of a 25% tariff on Japanese items.
That anti-yen sentiment spilled into Tuesday and sure helped gasoline AUD/JPY’s sharp transfer increased after the RBA shocked with a price maintain. The pair broke above its earlier July highs, then paused for a short pullback on Wednesday because the FOMC minutes boosted Fed price minimize expectations and gave the yen a short-lived raise.
By the top of the week, AUD/JPY was again on the transfer, breaking via the R2 Pivot Level resistance as merchants doubtless leaned on that RBA maintain shock, and falling odds of BOJ price hikes after weaker-than-expected Japanese PPI knowledge on Friday.
The Verdict
Our elementary evaluation and watch state of affairs primarily based on bettering danger urge for food and a web constructive AUD end result leaned in favor of a possible lengthy AUD/CHF setup.
Our technical evaluation nailed the channel backside assist zone as a possible space of curiosity for lengthy entries forward of the occasion, plus the potential for the pair sustaining its bounce momentum again above S1 and the pivot level degree if sentiment continued to lean in favor of danger currencies after the RBA resolution.
And because of extra risk-on flows from the FOMC minutes and Fed rhetoric within the latter a part of the week, AUD/CHF was poised to increase its upside previous the channel resistance onto R1 then R2.
General, we assess this as doubtless supportive of a web constructive end result since AUD was already having fun with a little bit of a risk-on increase pre-event and managed to carry its floor earlier than one other push increased on Thursday.
The alignment of elementary and technical elements made for an easy play: Tariffs deadline delay supported risk-taking, coverage divergence between RBA and SNB highlighted in shock maintain resolution, and Fed easing narrative led to a different wave increased.
Nonetheless, commerce administration and execution would have performed a minor position, as short-term pullbacks in the course of the RBA press convention and tariffs bulletins in a while may have supplied higher entry alternatives with increased return-on-risk in comparison with breakout performs.
Key Takeaways:
Position of Exterior Elements
With all of the market give attention to tariff developments, it’s no shock that precise bulletins and even threats of countermeasures have brought on large swings in sentiment, enjoying a key position within the end result of the AUD setups.
Commerce headlines and Trump’s Reality Social posts may have gone both means, so the significance of being fast in your ft when it comes to actively managing open positions can’t be overstated, particularly for the reason that RBA resolution came about early within the week earlier than an entire host of different market occasions unfolded.
Making Entry and Threat Changes
Whereas the watchlist setups pinpointed key inflection factors for commerce entry targets, a number of market developments main as much as the precise RBA occasion already allowed the degrees to carry and a few momentum to return into play.
Changes to entry ranges to account for these worth actions also needs to include applicable modifications to cease losses and/or place sizes to make sure correct danger administration whereas staying versatile with targets. On this case, sustaining a bullish AUD bias regardless of midweek dips would have saved AUD/CHF in a strong place to make the most of the post-FOMC danger rally previous preliminary conservative targets.
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