Trading news

The USD/JPY pair sticks to its positive bias for the fifth straight day and trades around the 159.80 area, or a nearly two-week top during the Asian session on Friday.

West Texas Intermediate (WTI) oil price gains ground after opening at levels below the previous close, trading around 95.60 during the Asian hours on Friday. Crude oil prices gain on rising supply concerns amid stalled US-Iran peace negotiations and the continued closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

The GBP/USD pair enters a bearish consolidation phase and trades around the 1.3465 region during the Asian session on Friday, just above a nearly two-week low set the previous day.

On Friday, the People’s Bank of China (PBOC) sets the USD/CNY central rate for the trading session ahead at 6.8674 compared to the previous day's fix of 6.8650 and 6.8400 Reuters estimate.

Japan's Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama warned that officials are in close contact around the clock with their US counterparts over speculative moves that are keeping the Japanese Yen (JPY) weak. Katayama confirmed that there are no plans to alter Japan's currency swap lines with the US.

EUR/USD steadies after three days of losses, trading around 1.1690 during the Asian hours on Friday. The pair remains flat as the US Dollar (USD) maintains its position as safe-haven demand increases amid persistent uncertainty surrounding the United States (US)–Iran conflict.

The AUD/USD pair loses traction to near 0.7130 during the early Asian session on Friday. Renewed conflict in the Middle East provides some support for a safe-haven currency, such as the US Dollar (USD), against the Australian Dollar (AUD). 

Japan Corporate Service Price Index (YoY) rose from previous 2.7% to 3.1% in March

US military officials are developing new plans to target Iran’s capabilities in the Strait of Hormuz in the event the current ceasefire with Iran fails, CNN reported on Thursday.

Japan National CPI ex Food, Energy (YoY) fell from previous 2.5% to 2.4% in March

Japan National Consumer Price Index (YoY): 1.5% (March) vs 1.3%

Japan National CPI ex Fresh Food (YoY) in line with forecasts (1.8%) in March

US President Donald Trump said Israel and Lebanon will extend their ceasefire by three weeks, Bloomberg reported on Thursday. This move could creates space for Israel and Lebanon to work on a long-term deal and removes a roadblock to ending the US war with Iran.

Gold price (XAU/USD) falls to around $4,690 during the early Asian session on Friday. The precious metal attracts some sellers amid a stronger US Dollar (USD) and elevated oil prices that stoked inflation worries. 

United Kingdom GfK Consumer Confidence came in at -25 below forecasts (-24) in April

Brown Brothers Harriman’s (BBH) Elias Haddad reports that USD/PHP is trading just below its record high as higher crude Oil prices overshadow a hawkish Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) move.

The NZD/USD pair trades with a negative bias near the 0.5860 area on Friday, April 24, as the US Dollar (USD) remains supported despite a slight loss of momentum in the broader index.

Commerzbank analysts led by Charlie Lay note that Bank Indonesia (BI) kept the BI Rate at 4.75% for a seventh meeting but shifted to a more hawkish stance to support the Indonesian Rupiah (IDR).

BNY’s Geoff Yu highlights that higher energy prices and gas market stress have not yet pushed key ASEAN economies into unsustainable external deficits.

Silver price (XAG/USD) collapsed as buyers got rejected at the 50-day Simple Moving Average (SMA) at $78.73, as geopolitical headlines dominated price action on Thursday. The XAG/USD trades at $75.40, down 3%.