Arabic version: الدولار الأسترالي يبلغ أعلى مستوى في ثلاثة أشهر

According to ABC News, the Australian dollar rose to 72 US cents on Friday, its highest level in three months, as traders increased bets that the Reserve Bank could lift interest rates at its next meeting in late September.

A hotter-than-expected inflation result released on Wednesday began the latest rally in the currency. Major local and international banks have since revisited their Reserve Bank interest-rate expectations, with some forecasting one further rate rise.

Bloomberg market pricing put the chance of a rate increase at 48 per cent, up from 40 per cent a day earlier. The Australian dollar also strengthened to 61.8 euro cents, its highest since May, and 53 British pence, its strongest level since June.

Against the Japanese yen, the Australian dollar reached a 36-year high. It was worth 114.8 yen, a level last seen in September 1990, when Japan’s asset-price bubble had burst.

The S&P/ASX 200 closed 54.10 points, or 0.60 per cent, higher at 9,092.30. At about 4:30pm AEST, Bitcoin traded at $US79,849 and Brent crude oil was down 0.6 per cent at $US89.16 a barrel.