Risk-Off Tone Lifts Yen, Dollar; Kiwi Soft Before Jobs Report
Global markets traded with a mild risk-off tone today as investors favored defensive plays. With no major data releases scheduled, sentiment rather than fundamentals set the tone, pushing the Japanese Yen to the top of the performance board while the Australian and New Zealand Dollars lagged.
Yen’s strength was also...
Aussie Mildly Lower After RBA Hold; Yen Firms on Fresh Verbal Intervention
Australian Dollar traded mildly lower after the RBA left its cash rate unchanged at 3.60%, a move fully expected by markets. The policy hold came with few surprises, and the key takeaway was that the RBA’s updated forecasts signal no further rate cuts this year, reflecting a sharper upward...
Dollar Extends Gains as Markets Dismiss Dovish Fed Remarks, RBA in Focus Next
Dollar climbed across the board today, defying dovish rhetoric from Fed Governor Stephen Miran. The greenback's resilience suggests that Miran's influence on expectations is limited, with investors noting that he represents the dovish edge of a divided policy spectrum.
The broader committee remains split. Kansas City Fed President Jeffrey Schmid...
ISM Manufacturing to Steer Sentiment Before RBA, BoE Meetings
Trading was subdued in Asia today, with Japan closed for a public holiday and investors awaiting a series of major events later in the week. Aussie led mild gains, supported by positioning for a hawkish hold from the RBA on Tuesday. The British Pound, by contrast, stayed on the...
Dollar and Yields Rise Sharply After Fed, But Both Near Key Barriers Ahead
It was a week packed with market-moving headlines and wild cross-asset swings. Traders found themselves caught between optimism over a U.S.–China trade breakthrough and caution sparked by a hawkish twist from the Fed. The result was a volatile mix that saw US equities push to new records, yields jump,...
Dollar Extends Rally as Fed Hawks Push Back on Rate Cut
Dollar’s rally gained momentum as markets headed into the final U.S. session of both the week and the month, supported by a fresh round of hawkish remarks from Fed officials. After a few days dominated by post-FOMC positioning, the greenback found renewed strength as investors reconsidered the likelihood of...
Asian Sentiment Split as Japan and Korea Surge, China Lags on Weak PMI
Risk sentiment was mixed across Asian markets today, with Japan and South Korea extending record-breaking rallies while Chinese and Hong Kong stocks to underperformed. Nikkei 225 surged past the 52,000 mark for the first time, driven by strong momentum in the technology sector. Gains were led by heavyweight semiconductor...
Dollar Rises Along with Yields as Fed Expectations Adjustment Continues
Dollar extended its rebound as North American trading got underway, gaining further momentum following Wednesday’s hawkish Fed rate cut. The greenback’s strength came as markets continued to digest the Fed’s divided decision and Chair Jerome Powell’s pushback against expectations for another cut in December.
U.S. Treasury yields also climbed, with...
Dollar Rebounds on Hawkish Fed Cut, Momentum Capped by Trade Optimism
Dollar tried to rebound overnight after markets pared back expectations for a December Fed rate cut, but momentum faded quickly in Asia. Optimism over a thaw in U.S.–China relations quickly reversed the rally attempt.
Fed’s three-way split decision to cut the federal funds rate by 25bps to 3.75–4.00% was interpreted...
Canadian Dollar Jumps as BoC Declares Policy ‘About Right’ After Cut
Canadian Dollar climbed after the BoC lowered its overnight rate to 2.25% and signaled that policy is likely now at its terminal level. The bank’s statement that rates are “about the right level” if the outlook unfolds as expected was interpreted as a clear end-of-cycle message. The message was...
Volatility Surges as Central Bank Bonanza Starts; BoC and Fed to Cut Today
Volatility picked up sharply as markets entered the first leg of a two-day central bank bonanza, with the BoC and the Fed set to announce policy decisions today, followed by the BoJ and European ECB tomorrow. Traders are bracing for a flurry of rate moves, guidance shifts, and potential...
Sterling Sinks on UK Fiscal Shock; Aussie Steady Ahead of CPI
Sterling tumbled sharply today, hitting its lowest level against Euro in nearly a year as renewed fiscal concerns dominated sentiment. The selloff followed reports from the Financial Times that UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves will face a deeper-than-expected deterioration in the UK’s public finances, delivering an early setback ahead of...
Smooth Trump–Takaichi Meeting Triggers Profit Taking in Nikkei and Yen Shorts
Yen rebounded notably today while Nikkei 225 cooled from its record highs, as investors took profits following a smooth meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Japan’s new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. The summit concluded with the signing of two new agreements that reaffirm the deep strategic and economic...
Dollar on Back Foot as Markets Cheer Prospects of US–China Tariff Truce
Optimism dominated Asian markets on Monday, with Japan’s Nikkei 225 surging to a fresh record high above the 50,000 mark. The risk-on tone carried through to U.S. futures, which pointed to another higher open as Wall Street looks set to continue its record-breaking run. In contrast, European markets lagged...
Risk-On Wave Sweeps Asia; Commodity FX Gains Ahead of Central Bank blitz
A powerful risk-on wave swept through Asian markets at the start of the week, propelling commodity currencies higher as equities across Japan and South Korea surged record while China jumped to decade highs. The mood reflected growing conviction that the U.S.–China trade conflict is entering a phase of lasting...
Global Risk Rally Reignites as US, UK, and Japan Hit All-Time Highs
Global markets resumed their risk-on momentum last week, buoyed by softer U.S. inflation data, easing political uncertainty, and renewed optimism over global trade. In the U.S., both DOW and S&P 500 climbed to fresh record highs after September CPI figures came in below expectations, cementing confidence that the Fed...
Dollar Slips as Softer Core Inflation Reinforces Bets on Two More Fed Cuts This Year
Dollar eased in early U.S. session after the latest inflation report came in slightly softer than expected, reinforcing expectations of continued monetary easing by the Fed. The pullback was modest, but sentiment turned more dovish as traders focused on the dip in core inflation, which may be seen as...
Markets Hold Breath Ahead of US CPI, US–China Talks in KL
Dollar traded steady in Asian session, with traders showing little appetite for new positions ahead of key inflation data. The September CPI report, due later in the day, is expected to show a 0.4% monthly increase in headline prices and a 0.3% gain in core CPI, which would push...
Geopolitics Back in Play as Oil Surges on Fresh Sanctions Against Russia
Oil prices surged today, emerging as the clear focus in otherwise subdued global markets, as geopolitical tensions flared again following a fresh wave of Western sanctions against Russia. The U.S. announced new measures targeting energy giants Rosneft and Lukoil, accusing Moscow of prolonging the conflict in Ukraine. The decision...
Dollar Strengthens, Risk Tone Softens Ahead of US-China Trade Talks
Risk sentiment turned slightly softer again, as Asian equities pulled back following Wall Street’s modest decline overnight. Investors took a more cautious stance after recent rallies, with profit-taking emerging ahead of key global data and fresh developments on the U.S.–China trade front. Nikkei 225 led the regional retreat, slipping...