AUD/USD: little data and tariff tensions keep markets sedate

• no Aussie data until Tuesday's Home Sales and RBA speech.
• China-US heat-up in tariff threats is piquing market tension.

The AUD/USD kicks off the new trading week at the 0.7700 handle, and upside potential is looking limited as a decidedly thin showing on the macro calendar leaves the pair exposed to ongoing market sentiment risks.

Quiet week for the AUD

The Aussie is geared up for a quiet week on the macro calendar, with nothing of note on the docket until the HIA New Home Sales figures for March expected sometime on Tuesday, and a speech from the Reserve Bank of Australia's (RBA) Assistant Governor Kent early Tuesday at 00:45 GMT. Kent is slated to speak at the Investment Implementation Summit in Sydney, and his talking points will not be focusing directly on monetary policy, while the HIA Home Sales represent a moving target with no determined release time.

US-China risk is still in play

The week is going to focus on US GDP figures due later in the week and ongoing trade war fears that continue to cast a pallor over market confidence, with rising tensions on the back of tit-for-tat tariff threats between the US and China is creating a risk appetite vacuum over global markets.

AUD/USD Levels to watch

The Aussie is continuing to grind lower against the Greenback in swing plays, and as FXStreet's own Valeria Bednarik noted recently, "The pair's attempt to recover ground this last week was contained by selling interest around a major resistance, the 61.8% retracement of the December/January rally at 0.7740, a discouraging sign for bulls. In the daily chart, the pair retreated from a bearish 20 DMA, while technical indicators maintain their bearish slopes within negative territory. In the 4 hours chart, the pair settled below a horizontal 20 DMA, while technical indicators turned lower around their mid-lines entering bearish territory, also favoring another slide ahead on a break below 0.7670, now the immediate support.

Support levels: 0.7670 0.7625 0.7590

Resistance levels: 0.7740 0.7785 0.7410