Trading news

ING analysts see Taiwan’s external demand remaining a key growth driver, led by technology exports. They expect export orders to stay very strong, even as the year-on-year rate moderates.

DBS economists Taimur Baig and Radhika Rao anticipate Singapore’s April 2026 non-oil domestic exports to rise 11.5% year-on-year, marking an eighth consecutive month of expansion after 15.3% in March.

ING’s Min Joo Kang expects Japan’s economy to maintain similar growth to the previous quarter, with first-quarter Gross Domestic Product (GDP) seen rising 0.3% quarter-on-quarter.

The US Dollar Index (DXY) climbs above the 99.30 region, reaching fresh multi-week highs on Friday as stronger-than-expected United States (US) economic data reinforced expectations that the Federal Reserve (Fed) may keep interest rates elevated for longer.

OCBC's strategist Christopher Wong says Asian FX remains constrained by a firm Dollar and higher US yields, despite some optimism around US–China talks. The Renminbi (RMB) is the main outperformer on lower USD/CNY fixes and policy-tolerated appreciation, but broader Asia FX stays soft.

United States CFTC S&P 500 NC Net Positions declined to $-143.8K from previous $-103.9K

Japan CFTC JPY NC Net Positions fell from previous ¥-61.7K to ¥-75.1K

United States CFTC Gold NC Net Positions climbed from previous $163.3K to $171.6K

United States CFTC Oil NC Net Positions fell from previous 178.8K to 169.9K

United Kingdom CFTC GBP NC Net Positions up to £-43.1K from previous £-63.9K

Eurozone CFTC EUR NC Net Positions climbed from previous €32.2K to €40.2K

Australia CFTC AUD NC Net Positions rose from previous $78.7K to $85K

UOB’s Global Economics & Markets Research, led by Julia Goh and Loke Siew Ting, notes Malaysia’s 1Q26 Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew 5.4% year-on-year, slightly above estimates but slower than 4Q25.

DBS Group Research economist Samuel Tse assesses how recent US-China talks are shaping the outlook for Chinese growth and Chinese Yuan (CNY) rates. He highlights a more constructive bilateral tone, prospects for improved US market access, and potential easing of trade frictions.

Gold price retreats by over 2.30% on Friday amid fears that prolonged hostilities between the US and Iran could trigger a second wave of inflation, forcing central banks to hike interest rates. The XAU/USD trades at $4,551 after bottoming at around $4,511.

The US Dollar Index (DXY), which measures the Greenback against a basket of six major currencies, extends its rally on Friday, climbing to its highest level since April 8 as investors continue to favor the US Dollar amid hawkish Federal Reserve expectations and persistent geopolitical uncertainty su

ING economists Deepali Bhargava, Lynn Song and Min Joo Kang expect Bank Indonesia (BI) to shift toward a tighter stance at its upcoming meeting. They highlight recent Indonesian Rupiah weakness, ongoing FX intervention and wider rate differentials versus the United States.

EUR/GBP climbs to near one-month highs on Friday as rising political uncertainty in the United Kingdom pressures the British Pound (GBP). At the time of writing, the cross is trading around 0.8726, on track for weekly gains.

United States Baker Hughes US Oil Rig Count climbed from previous 410 to 415

West Texas Intermediate (WTI) US Oil extends its rally on Friday, with the US benchmark trading around $100.90 at the time of writing, up 3.13% on the day, and breaking above the $100 level to reach a fresh weekly high.