What Happened Commerzbank senior analyst Thu Lan Nguyen has issued a warning over escalating legal tensions surrounding US sanctions imposed on Chinese refineries that continue to purchase Iranian oil. The analysis highlights a growing contradiction at the heart of the global financial system — where Washington’s aggressive use of dollar-denominated sanctions is increasingly forcing major … Read more
What Happened The EUR/GBP pair opened the week on a moderately soft footing, pulling back to the 0.8650 area after briefly testing session highs near 0.8660. Despite the retreat, the pair holds a mild constructive bias after bouncing from 0.8620 lows last week. The key takeaway: the 0.8655 resistance zone is proving sticky, and bulls … Read more
Oil markets ended the week on a cautiously positive note, with both WTI and Brent crude futures staging a modest recovery on Friday. However, the late-week bounce was not enough to offset heavy selling earlier in the session, leaving both benchmarks with their largest weekly losses since April 2026, according to UOB Global Economics & … Read more
The Indian Rupee (INR) kicked off the week firmly on the back foot, with the USD/INR pair surging 0.8% to trade near 95.20 — a significant move driven by escalating geopolitical tensions between the United States and Iran that have rattled global energy markets and emerging market currencies alike. What Happened The US-Iran diplomatic deadlock … Read more
What Happened The British Pound clawed back early losses against the Japanese Yen on Monday, with GBP/JPY attracting fresh buying interest near the key 100-day Simple Moving Average (SMA) support level. The pair successfully filled a modest weekly bearish gap that had opened at the start of the session, a common technical occurrence when weekend … Read more
What Happened Deutsche Bank analysts reported that US equities, including the S&P 500 and Nasdaq, pushed to new all-time highs last week. The rally was underpinned by three key forces: blowout earnings from artificial intelligence-linked companies, resilient US macroeconomic data, and easing crude oil prices that helped cool inflation fears. The combination created a risk-on … Read more
What Happened The USD/CAD pair is trading flat around 1.3675 during early European hours on Monday, consolidating after last week’s key data releases. The US April Nonfarm Payrolls (NFP) report came in above market expectations, reinforcing the view that the US labour market remains resilient despite ongoing global trade uncertainty and tariff pressures. Despite the … Read more
What Happened USD/JPY opened the week near 156.90 and experienced a series of sharp, volatile intraday swings — oscillating between the 155.00 and 158.00 levels — according to MUFG analyst Teppei Ino. The wide-ranging price action occurred during Japan’s public holiday period, when thin liquidity conditions amplified moves in both directions, leaving the pair in … Read more
Silver (XAG/USD) continued its impressive rally for a fourth consecutive session on Monday, climbing to around $80.70 per troy ounce during Asian trading hours. The metal is inching closer to the psychologically significant $81.00 level, even as the U.S. Federal Reserve maintains a cautious tone on the pace of future interest rate cuts. What Happened? … Read more
What Happened China’s National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) is set to release its April Consumer Price Index (CPI) and Producer Price Index (PPI) data at 01:30 GMT. The consensus forecast for April CPI sits at 0.8% year-on-year, a step down from the 1.0% recorded in March. PPI, which has remained in deflationary territory for months, … Read more
What Happened EUR/USD slipped to around 1.1765 during the early Asian session on Monday, giving back recent gains as risk sentiment turned cautious. The move came after US President Donald Trump and Iran publicly rejected each other’s latest proposals aimed at ending the ongoing Middle East conflict, dashing hopes for a near-term diplomatic breakthrough and … Read more
What Happened Iran has submitted its formal response to a United States peace proposal through diplomatic back-channel mediator Pakistan, according to Iran’s state-run Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA). The move marks a significant development in the current negotiation phase, suggesting both sides are actively engaged in dialogue aimed at ending the ongoing conflict. Why It … Read more
What Happened The US Dollar Index (DXY) fell toward the 97.90 region on Friday, extending its recent downtrend as risk sentiment improved across global markets. The catalyst was a softening in geopolitical tension after reports indicated the United States and Iran are still working to preserve a fragile ceasefire framework, despite renewed military incidents in … Read more
What Happened Commerzbank analyst Thu Lan Nguyen has issued a cautionary note on aluminium markets, warning that a potential reopening of the Strait of Hormuz — a critical shipping corridor in the Middle East — would offer only short-lived relief to aluminium prices. The more persistent threat, according to Nguyen, is a bauxite export cap … Read more
What Happened West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil — the benchmark US crude — tumbled approximately 2.49% on Friday, capping a brutal week that saw prices collapse by more than 7.39%. The sell-off was driven by growing market speculation that the United States and Iran are edging closer to a diplomatic agreement that could end … Read more
What Happened India’s gold ETF market has recorded inflows for 11 straight months, with retail and institutional investors continuing to increase exposure to the precious metal through exchange-traded products. The sustained buying trend has emerged as a significant demand driver for Gold globally, helping to cushion spot prices after a sharp pullback in March rattled … Read more
What Happened Economists at MUFG — Lin Li, Michael Wan, Lloyd Chan, and Khang Sek Lee — have published a detailed outlook mapping divergent paths for Asian foreign exchange markets under different Strait of Hormuz scenarios. Their base case assumes the strait reopens by end-May 2025, which would gradually relieve pressure on oil supply chains … Read more
What Happened Wells Fargo Economics has projected Brazil’s April IPCA inflation print will come in at 0.9% month-over-month and approximately 4.5% year-over-year — sitting at or above the upper limit of Brazil’s official inflation target band. The surge is being driven by intensifying pressures in energy and food prices, with inflation expectations already moving higher … Read more
Strategists at Rabobank have released a fresh assessment warning that the intensifying military conflict involving the US and Israel against Iran carries significant consequences for China’s economic outlook — and by extension, Australia’s key trading partner risk. What Happened Rabobank’s research desk highlighted that the ongoing war against Iran is beginning to reshape global growth … Read more
What Happened Taiwan’s April trade figures came in below expectations, according to ING’s Chief Economist for Greater China, Lynn Song. Export growth decelerated and imports also underperformed forecasts, causing the monthly trade surplus to ease to USD14.35 billion — down from prior levels and short of analyst estimates. Despite the softer headline numbers, ING maintains … Read more
What Happened Indonesia’s GDP growth accelerated to 5.6% year-on-year in Q1 2026, beating expectations and marking a solid start to the year for Southeast Asia’s largest economy. The data was highlighted by Standard Chartered economist Aldian Taloputra, who attributed the strong print to three key tailwinds: front-loaded fiscal stimulus from the government, seasonal spending around … Read more
What Happened Silver (XAG/USD) surged more than 2.50% on Friday, trading around $80.72 after bouncing strongly off intraday lows of $78.16. The move puts silver on course to close the week with gains exceeding 7% — one of its strongest weekly performances in recent months. The rally is being driven by a combination of US … Read more
What Happened Commerzbank analyst Michael Pfister has flagged that the Bank of Mexico (Banxico) is firmly in an easing cycle, with a 25 basis point rate cut widely expected at today’s meeting following the cut delivered in March. The move reflects softening inflationary pressures in Mexico and growing concerns around domestic economic growth, giving Banxico … Read more
What Happened Silver (XAG/USD) surged 3.13% on Thursday, climbing from $77.35 to $79.78 per troy ounce, according to FXStreet data. The sharp single-session gain signals renewed buying interest in precious metals, continuing a broader trend of strength in the silver market. Why It Matters Silver’s move is significant for several reasons. As both an industrial … Read more
Sweden’s central bank, the Riksbank, held its benchmark interest rate steady at 1.75% at its latest policy meeting, triggering a rebound in EUR/SEK that is now directly challenging a pivotal technical barrier. Analysts at Societe Generale flagged that the currency pair has been climbing from a recent interim low and is now testing its 200-day … Read more
What Happened OCBC strategists Sim Moh Siong and Christopher Wong have characterised recent moves across Asian foreign exchange markets as a relief rally, pointing to two key drivers: a pullback in crude oil prices and growing optimism surrounding a potential US–Iran nuclear agreement. The strategists note that markets are pricing in some probability of a … Read more
What Happened TD Securities strategists Izidor Flajsman and Prashant Newnaha have highlighted a significant and relatively rare macro setup: Australia is entering a phase of unilateral RBA tightening. While the US Federal Reserve is widely expected to begin cutting interest rates in the coming months, the Reserve Bank of Australia is seen continuing its hiking … Read more