Trading news

Gold (XAU/USD) price plummets nearly 2.50% on Thursday as Oil prices rise amid uncertainty about a possible agreement between the US and Iran, adding upward pressure on inflation and pushing the Greenback higher. At the time of writing, XAU/USD trades at $4,394 after reaching a daily high of $4,544.

MUFG’s Senior Currency Analyst Lloyd Chan maintains a defensive stance on Asia FX as the US‑Iran conflict keeps external pressures elevated. Higher US yields and Oil prices are supporting the Dollar and weighing on Asian currencies such as THB, PHP and KRW.

Alan Taylor, an external member of the Monetary Policy Committee of the Bank of England (BoE), said that he currently sees a high bar to hiking the rates at a conference in New York hosted by Exante Data. He also added that the current energy shock looks more like the 2011 situation than the 2022.

NZD/USD extends its downward move on Thursday, trading around 0.5770 at the time of writing, down 0.65% on the day. The pair is now on its third consecutive day of losses after failing to hold near the 0.5900 area reached last week.

Standard Chartered Bank analysts Bader Al Sarraf and Razia Khan assess how the Middle East escalation and potential Strait of Hormuz disruptions could affect Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) economies.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell around 230 points, or roughly 0.5%, on Thursday, giving back the previous session's gains as surging Oil prices and collapsing ceasefire optimism crushed risk appetite. The S&P 500 dropped 0.8%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite shed 1.1%.

United States 7-Year Note Auction increased to 4.255% from previous 3.79%

USD/CHF extends gains on Thursday as broad-based US Dollar (USD) strength persists amid rising Middle East tensions, while the Swiss Franc (CHF) struggles to gain traction as traders remain cautious about potential intervention from the Swiss National Bank to curb excessive currency appreciation.

Silver (XAG/USD) trades lower on Thursday, hovering around $68.50 at the time of writing, down 3.85% on the day, extending its pullback after earlier gains this week.

The USD/JPY trades higher near the 159.70 level on Thursday, March 26, maintaining an overall bullish bias as the US Dollar (USD) remains supported while the Japanese Yen (JPY) stays under pressure.

ING’s Francesco Pesole notes that Norges Bank delivered a hawkish shift, signalling upcoming rate hikes as inflation concerns extend beyond the energy shock. The bank now fully prices at least one hike in its projections, while ING expects only one move given its bearish Oil and gas baseline.

The Canadian Dollar (CAD) stays on the back foot against the US Dollar (USD) on Thursday, as rising Middle East tensions and ongoing uncertainty around US-Iran negotiations keep the Greenback firmly supported across the board.

United States 4-Week Bill Auction climbed from previous 3.615% to 3.62%

The GBP/USD consolidates around 1.3360 on Thursday amid heightened tensions in the Middle East, as US President Donald Trump exerts pressure on Iran to reach a deal. Solid US jobs data maintained the status quo, which remains controlled by geopolitics.

TD Securities expects UK Retail Sales for February to decline, projecting -0.6% month-on-month versus the market’s -0.7% and January’s 1.8%. They bank attributes the pullback to fading idiosyncratic supports and adverse weather weighing on physical store traffic.

United States Kansas Fed Manufacturing Activity: 11 (March) vs 10

Scotiabank strategists Shaun Osborne and Eric Theoret highlight that USD/CAD continues to grind higher as haven demand for the US Dollar dominates, with the pair trading well above an estimated fair value of 1.3543.

AUD/USD trades around 0.6920 on Thursday at the time of writing, down 0.35% on the day, and remains close to its monthly lows amid a bearish consolidation phase. The pair struggles to stage any meaningful rebound as the US Dollar (USD) continues to draw solid support.

United States EIA Natural Gas Storage Change below forecasts (-49B) in March 20: Actual (-54B)

ING strategists Michiel Tukker and Benjamin Schroeder note that markets continue to price two to three European Central Bank (ECB) rate hikes in 2026, with April odds still elevated. They stress that the ECB must balance data dependence with managing expectations along the curve.