The Australian dollar may face the strongest decline since 2018

The Australian dollar is preparing to end 2022 with a decline of 7%, the most significant since 2018. Analysts note that during the year, Australia's national currency declined under the pressure of aggressive interest rate hikes in the world, anti-bullying restrictions in China and concerns about global economic growth.

The current quote of the Australian dollar/US dollar (AUD/USD) pair is 0.6793. Trading volumes on the last working day of the year are low. 

Investors in the futures market expect that the Reserve Bank of Australia may raise rates by 4% by next September. At the same time, just a week ago, they were expected to increase by 3.6%. It is worth noting that the RBA became the first major central bank to slow down the pace of raising its interest rates.

The New Zealand dollar, another risk-sensitive currency, is aiming for a 7.5% year-end decline compared to the previous year, which will be the strongest drop since 2015. The current quote of the NZD/USD pair is 0.6351.

The Australian and New Zealand dollars ended 2021 at 0.7269 and 0.6844, respectively.