SYDNEY, Aug 12 (Reuters) - The Australian and kiwi dollars were calm on Monday after ending a turbulent week with gains, although volatility lies ahead as markets position for a first rate cut in New Zealand before a key U.S. inflation test.
The kiwi climbed 0.2% to $0.6012, building on last week's 0.7% rise as risk sentiment returned after a drastic sell-off in markets. Those gains could be at risk if the Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) decides to cut rates on Wednesday.
Swaps imply an 80% probability the central bank will cut the 5.5% cash rate by 25 basis points, although the majority of economists - about 60% polled by Reuters - expect no change.
"I think markets have gotten ahead of themselves leaving open the possibility of some pullback in expectations," said Kelly Eckhold, chief economist at Westpac New Zealand, adding that offshore investors were driving the cut expectations.
"I suspect the RBNZ will be watching the inflation outlook closely for a while yet and will be tempering, not slashing, its degree of restriction."
ANZ analysts tipped a bounce in the kiwi as they expect the RBNZ will hold steady, although the impact might not last for long given the high-stakes U.S. inflation report due later on Wednesday.
Two-year swap rates rose 3 basis points to 3.9925%, just a touch above a two-year low of 3.925%.
The Aussie was also 0.2% higher at $0.6582, having gained 1% last week. It faces resistance at the 200-day moving average of $0.6597. It also held steady at NZ$1.0947, having bounced off a three-month trough of NZ$1.0835 last week.
Andrew Hauser, deputy governor at the Reserve Bank of Australia, stressed on Monday that economic forecasts were subject to huge uncertainty, one reason that policymakers have stayed the course on interest rates while waiting for more data.
Over the week, Australia will publish wages data on Tuesday and jobs figures on Thursday, which will be crucial to market expectations for a rate cut by the year end. (Reporting by Stella Qiu; Editing by Jamie Freed)
