Nikkei Soars, Yen Struggles Ahead of Packed Global Week With Jackson Hole Symposium
Asian markets opened the week on a positive note, with Japan’s Nikkei 225 extending its rally to fresh record highs. The interplay between Nikkei and Yen remains crucial. A softer yen improves exporters’ competitiveness, lifting equities. At the same time, robust equity performance can in turn weigh on the...
Currencies Split: Pound, Euro, Yen Firm While Antipodeans Sink
Markets spent the past week navigating a narrow path between relief and reality. Relief came from headline trade developments that bought more time for diplomacy. Reality showed up in the form of fresh price pressures and unresolved global tensions. The contrast defined how investors approached risk, producing a complex...
Dollar Drifts Lower Despite Solid Retail sales, High-Stakes Alaska Summit Awaited
Dollar turned weaker in early US session on Friday despite solid US retail sales data that matched expectations. After a week packed with inflation reports and commentaries from Fed officials, traders are paring back some of their more aggressive Fed easing bets. However, this recalibration has offered little extra...
Mixed Asia Trade: Yen Gains on Growth Surprise, China Weakness Hits Sentiment
Asian trading was uneven today as strong Japanese GDP data contrasted sharply with a softer Chinese macro picture. Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 received a boost from the better-than-expected growth reading, while Yen advanced across the board. Signs of resilience in Japan’s economy despite tariff uncertainty have strengthened market confidence that...
Hot US PPI Lifts Dollar, Puts Brake on Big September Cut Calls
Dollar regained its footing in early US trade after much stronger-than-expected July PPI figures sharply reduced expectations for aggressive Fed easing. While a 25bps rate cut at the September FOMC meeting remains the market’s base case, the data has made a 50bps move far less likely.
Importantly, this PPI print...
Profit-Taking Hits Nikkei, Yen Jumps; Aussie Jobs Data Supports Gradual RBA Path
Market headlines are thin today, with Japan stealing the spotlight as the Nikkei saw a steep pullback following yesterday’s record-setting close. The drop appears driven by traders cashing in on an extended rally rather than any shift in economic outlook. Fundamentally, Japanese equities remain supported, with the economic fallout...
Risk-On Wave Sweeps Markets, Bessent Continues Aggressive Fed Cut Call, Stimulus Boost
A strong wave of risk appetite is sweeping through global markets, with equities gaining ground across the board. Major European indexes are firmly higher, Japan’s Nikkei marked its second straight record close, and US futures are pointing to another day of record highs for S&P 500 and NASDAQ. Investors...
Dollar Stays Soft, Bessent’s Half-Point Cut Idea Stirs Talk but Not Positioning
Dollar continued to stay soft in Asian session today, carried over from Tuesday’s post US CPI weakness. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent added to the policy discussion by urging Fed to consider a 50bps rate cut in September to “make up for the delay” in starting its easing cycle...
Dollar Slips Post-CPI, Sterling Gains on Mixed UK Jobs Data
Dollar came under renewed selling pressure in early US session following the release of July’s CPI report. Equity markets responded positively, with stock futures pushing higher as investors focused on the softer-than-expected headline reading, largely downplaying the firmer core figure. Market reaction suggests the report does little to disrupt...
Yen Slides as Nikkei Hits Record, US–China Extend Truce
Yen slumped further across the board in Asia as Japanese stocks surged, with the Nikkei charging to all-time highs after the holiday break. Optimism in Tokyo is being driven by expectations that more listed companies will upgrade earnings outlooks, with the perceived impact of US tariffs on Japanese exporters...
Greenback Leads Ahead of Trump’s China Tariff Call, RBA Cut in Focus
Dollar rebounded strongly as US session begins, despite a day largely devoid of fresh headlines or major data. Traders are looking ahead to a week dominated by trade, geopolitical, and central bank risks, particular with the August 12 US–China tariff deadline now in sharp focus.
So far, US President Donald...
Cautious Start as US-China Trade Deadline Nears; RBA Cut, US CPI Ahead
Markets began the week in tight ranges, with traders reluctant to take big positions. The August 12 deadline for a US–China trade deal is a major headline risk. For now, markets are betting heavily on an extension, with another 90-day truce seen as the most probable outcome.
Still, the threat...
GBP Tops as Risk Currencies Shine, CHF Anchors the Rear
Last week’s FX leaderboard was dominated by growth-linked and higher-yield currencies, with Sterling, Aussie, and Kiwi outpacing the field. At the other end, traditional safe havens found themselves out of favor, with Yen and Swiss Franc bringing up the rear.
Sterling’s climb came on the back of a narrow 5–4...
Loonie Dips After Mixed Jobs Data, Loss Limited as BoC Caution Still in Play
Canadian Dollar edged lower in early US trading Friday following a mixed labor market report that offered little clarity on the BoC’s next move. The set of data suggests that slack is building, but not yet enough to trigger a policy response.
BoC left its benchmark rate unchanged at 2.75%...
Franc Stays at Bottom as 39% Tariffs Kick in, Japan Gets Relief as US Promises Corrections
After a week of volatility, the forex markets settled into a quieter rhythm during the Asian session on Friday. Swiss Franc stabilized somewhat, but remains the weakest performer this week after a heavy blow from Washington.
Switzerland’s diplomatic efforts fell short as the harsh 39% US tariff on Swiss imports...
BoE’s Hawkish Cut Sparks Sterling Rally
Sterling surged across the board after the BoE delivered a widely expected rate cut to 4.00%, but with a much tighter vote split than markets anticipated. Four of the nine Monetary Policy Committee members voted to keep rates unchanged, signaling persistent concerns about upside inflation risks. This hawkish undercurrent,...
Tariffs and Doves Drive Dollar Lower, Split BoE to Cut
Dollar came under pressure again in Asian session, deepening this week’s selloff as traders digested a flood of tariff developments and dovish commentary from Fed officials. While Asian equity markets held steady with modest gains, the currency markets showed clearer directional bias, with the greenback slipping alongside Swiss Franc...
Dollar Selling Returns on Light News Day, Fed Comments in Focus
Dollar is softening again across the board in a session marked by light news flow and no scheduled economic data from the US. With little fresh macro direction, traders are shifting their attention to upcoming comments from Fed officials, including Boston Fed President Susan Collins and Fed Governor Lisa...
Sectoral Tariffs in Focus, Chips Hit but Broader Markets Hold
Asian equity markets are broadly stable today, shrugging off the negative lead from Wall Street overnight. The broader resilience comes despite a sharp selloff in chip stocks across Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan after US President Donald Trump confirmed that new tariffs on semiconductors and chips will be unveiled...
Dollar Stabilizes as Yields Find Footing, Yen Reverses After Early Strength
Dollar is trading mixed in early US trading on Tuesday, reflecting a cautious tone across the broader market. Treasury yields appeared to have found a foothold, with 10-year stabilizing around 4.2%, helping to curb recent Dollar softness. Traders appear to be waiting for the next catalyst — likely today’s...