Trading news

Lloyd Chan at MUFG highlights that USD/IDR has broken to fresh highs, overshooting earlier expectations for near-term stabilization. The move is attributed more to domestic confidence and fiscal uncertainty than broad US Dollar (USD) strength.

Silver price edges up over 0.50% during Friday’s session, after bouncing off a daily low of $73.10. Speculation about a resumption of negotiations between Washington and Tehran is cheered by investors, which pushed US equities higher in tandem with the precious metals segment.

OCBC strategists Sim Moh Siong and Christopher Wong note the central bank of Philippines Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas' (BSP) 25bp hike to 4.5% and guidance that further increases are possible as inflation forecasts are revised higher and second-round effects emerge.

TD Securities strategists, including Andrew Kelvin and colleagues, expect the Bank of Canada to keep the Overnight Rate at 2.25% through the April meeting and likely for the rest of 2026.

United States CFTC Oil NC Net Positions fell from previous 206.5K to 192.3K

Eurozone CFTC EUR NC Net Positions: €41.3K vs €26K

Japan CFTC JPY NC Net Positions down to ¥-94.5K from previous ¥-83.2K

United Kingdom CFTC GBP NC Net Positions rose from previous £-54.7K to £-52K

United States CFTC Gold NC Net Positions: $164K vs $162.5K

United States CFTC S&P 500 NC Net Positions climbed from previous $-115.8K to $-110.1K

Australia CFTC AUD NC Net Positions: $64.8K vs previous $65.1K

Rabobank’s Senior Macro Strategist Stefan Koopman expects the Bank of England’s (BoE) Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) to leave Bank Rate at 3.75% at the April meeting, maintaining its vigilant stance.

The US Dollar Index (DXY) is losing momentum near the 98.50 price zone and continues drifting lower from recent highs as markets unwind part of the recent US Dollar (USD) rally despite still strong United States (US) data and ongoing Middle East tensions.

Gold (XAU/USD) price recovers some ground on Friday, extending its gains above $4,700 as market sentiment remains upbeat amid headlines from Iran and the US pointing to a resumption of second-round talks aimed at ending the conflict. At the time of writing XAU/USD trades at $4,726, up 0.47%.

The New Zealand Dollar (NZD) gains traction against the US Dollar (USD) on Friday as the Greenback weakens amid renewed hopes for US–Iran talks after stalled negotiations.

Commerzbank’s Chief Economist Dr. Jörg Krämer argues that the sharp fall in the Ifo Business Climate Index underlines how severely the energy price shock is weighing on the German economy.

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi landed in Islamabad on Friday evening to open the long-delayed second round of talks with the US, and special envoy Steve Witkoff and senior adviser Jared Kushner are due in on Saturday morning.

Standard Chartered economists Dan Pan and Steve Englander assess the impact of the United States (US) Supreme Court’s IEEPA ruling on US tariff revenue. They note that tariff income has fallen but remains well above pre-Liberation Day levels.

United States Baker Hughes US Oil Rig Count down to 407 from previous 410

MUFG’s Derek Halpenny argues that the ongoing United States (US) blockade in the Strait of Hormuz is building a significant inflation shock for the US and globally, with Oil and input costs surging.