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- AUD/USD softens to near 0.7180 in. Wednesday’s early Asian session.
- Australian GDP grew 0.3% QoQ in Q1 of 2026, weaker than expected.
- US forces conduct strikes after Iran’s attack, CENTCOM said.
The AUD/USD pair declines to around 0.7180 during the early Asian session on Wednesday. The Australian Dollar (AUD) weakens against the US Dollar (USD) following a downbeat domestic Gross Domestic Product (GDP) report. Traders will closely monitor the US May employment data, which will be released on Friday.
Data released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) on Wednesday showed that the Australian economy grew 0.3% QoQ in the first quarter (Q1) of 2026, compared to the 0.8% growth in Q4. This reading came in weaker than the 0.5% expansion expected. Meanwhile, the annual first-quarter GDP expanded by 2.5%, compared with the 2.6% growth in Q4, below the market consensus of a 2.7% increase.
The Aussie attracts some sellers in an immediate reaction to the downbeat economic data, as it might prompt markets to expect a more dovish stance from the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA).
Elsewhere, China’s Services Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) improved to 54.4 in May, up from 52.6 in the previous reading, according to RatingDog on Wednesday. This figure came in stronger than the market expectations of 52.3.
Broader geopolitical uncertainties might keep traders on edge and underpin a safe-haven currency such as the Greenback. The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) said on Tuesday that it had intercepted and defeated a series of Iranian missile and drone attacks targeting regional neighbors, including Kuwait and Bahrain, while also carrying out self-defence strikes on Iran’s Qeshm Island, per ABC News.
