Trading news

This report was prepared at the Federal Reserve (Fed) Bank of Richmond based on information collected on or before january 5, 2026.

In quite an erratic week, the US Dollar (USD) reversed Tuesday’s marked advance and shifted its attention to the opposite direction on the back of jitters surrounding the Fed’s independence as well as swelling speculation of further interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve later in the year.

West Texas Intermediate (WTI) extends its rebound on Wednesday, rising for a fifth straight day as escalating unrest in Iran fuels a fresh geopolitical risk premium.

Federal Reserve (Fed) Bank of Atlanta President Raphael Bostic said that inflation is still quite far from where they need it to be even though the economy has been pretty resilient at the Atlanta Business Chronicle 2026 Economic Outlook event on Wednesday.

Federal Reserve (Fed) Bank of Minneapolis President Neel Kashkari said that the overall economy seems quite resilient and that He has seen less tariff pass through than expected at the Midwest Economic Forecast Forum hosted online by the Wisconsin Bankers Association on Wednesday.

Bank of England Deputy Governor David Ramsden said that wages will remain a key focus for him this year and that his view is that policy remains restrictive in a speech at King's College, in London on Wednesday.

NZD/USD trades higher on Wednesday, hovering around 0.5750 at the time of writing, up 0.25% on the day.

The Japanese Yen (JPY) strengthens against the US Dollar (USD) on Wednesday after fresh warnings from Japanese authorities revived speculation of possible intervention to curb excessive Yen weakness.

The British Pound extended its gains on Wednesday as the Greenback is punished by investors due to threats to the Federal Reserve’s independence and a verbal intervention by Japanese officials, boosted the Yen. The GBP/USD trades at 1.3461 up by 0.30%.

Federal Reserve (Fed) governor Stephen Miran said that he thinks deregulation should put downward pressure on prices, and stated that if central banks don't accommodate the impact of deregulation, it makes policy too tight, in a speech at the Delphi Economic Forum in Athens on Wednesday.

United States EIA Crude Oil Stocks Change came in at 3.391M, above expectations (-2.2M) in January 9

President of the Federal Reserve (Fed) Bank of Minneapolis Neel Kashkari defended Jerome Powell, the Fed chair, and said that interest rates should be held steady this month in an interview with the New York Times on Wednesday.

President of the Federal Reserve (Fed) Bank of Philadelphia Anna Paulson said that she sees further rate cuts later this year if the forecast met their expectations and that inflation should be around 2% by the year's end on a speech about the state of the economy at the Chamber of Commerce for Grea

United States Business Inventories came in at 0.3%, above forecasts (0.2%) in October

United States Existing Home Sales (MoM) above forecasts (4.21M) in December: Actual (4.35M)

United States Existing Home Sales Change (MoM) up to 5.1% in December from previous 0.5%

AUD/USD trades around 0.6680 on Wednesday at the time of writing, virtually unchanged on the day, as investors digest a series of key macroeconomic releases from the United States (US) and Asia.

Renewed geopolitical tensions and rising oil volatility have reconnected EUR/NOK with crude dynamics, setting the stage for potential NOK strength if supply risks escalate, Société Générale's FX analysts Olivier Korber and Kit Juckes reports.

EUR/CHF is gradually moving higher as easing geopolitical tensions trigger a partial unwind of the Swiss Franc’s (CHF) safe-haven premium, Société Générale's FX analysts Olivier Korber and Kit Juckes reports.

The Euro (EUR) is trading marginally higher against the US Dollar (USD), consolidating after its retreat from late-December highs as European Central Bank (ECB) commentary strikes a more balanced tone, Scotiabank's Chief FX Strategists Shaun Osborne and Eric Theoret report.