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Commerzbank reports that South Korea’s advance Q2 GDP rose 0.6% quarter-on-quarter and 3.7% year-on-year, beating expectations. Robust AI-related semiconductor demand and resilient domestic spending underpin growth. The strong data support prospects of a further 25bp Bank of Korea hike in August. USD/KRW fell to 1,475, with the Won aided by portfolio inflows into bonds and equities.Growth surprise bolsters BoK hike case”The advance Q2 GDP rose 0.6% qoq sa (Bloomberg consensus: 0.4%) vs 1.8% in Q1. This suggests that growth momentum remained resilient despite energy supply disruptions.””On an annual basis, the economy expanded 3.7% yoy (Bloomberg consensus: 3.5%) vs 3.8% previously.…
The upcoming week will be dominated by monetary policy decisions from the Federal Reserve (Fed), Bank of England (BoE) and Bank of Japan (BoJ). United States (US) Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) inflation, Australian inflation and preliminary Eurozone growth and inflation figures will also attract significant attention.The US Dollar Index (DXY) trades near 101.50 ahead of a particularly busy United States (US) economic calendar. Monday’s Durable Goods Orders are expected to rebound by 1.6% in June after falling 4.5% previously, while orders excluding transportation are forecast to rise 0.9%. US Dollar Price Today The table below…
The New Zealand Dollar gains over 0.30% against the US Dollar on Friday. The pair is poised to test key resistance levels with the 50-day Simple Moving Average (SMA) at 0.5793, slightly below the 0.5800 figure. At the time of writing, the NZD/USD trades at 0.5789, after bouncing off daily lows of 0.5767.NZD/USD Price Forecast: Technical outlookThe Kiwi Dollar seems to recover during the day, but the overall trend is downwards, until the pair reclaims the May 29 high of 0.5995. Momentum turned bullish as depicted in the Relative Strength Index (RSI), but seems to be fading as the index…
OCBC’s Sim Moh Siong and Christopher Wong note that the Thai Baht (THB) is trading near its weakest level in more than a year against the US Dollar (USD), as volatile oil prices, a firmer USD and higher US yields weigh on the currency. They highlight the Bank of Thailand’s (BoT) accommodative stance and tolerance for gradual weakness, but warn that sharper depreciation could test policymakers if oil remains elevated and imported inflation builds.High energy costs and policy stance weigh”THB stayed under pressure as rise in oil prices was compounded by firmer USD, higher US yields while BoT’s still-accommodative stance…
EUR/USD trades lower near the 1.1370 area on Friday, struggling despite stronger-than-expected Eurozone business-activity figures. The US Dollar Index (DXY) remains firmer near 101.50, offering limited support to the pair.Germany’s preliminary HCOB Composite Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) climbed to 51.2 in July from 49.5, exceeding expectations of 49.8 and returning to expansion territory. Manufacturing PMI improved to 52.2 from 50.3, while Services PMI rose to 49.6 from 48.6 but remained below the 50.0 threshold separating expansion from contraction.Activity across the wider Eurozone also strengthened. The Composite PMI increased to 51.9 from 50.0, beating the 50.3 forecast. Manufacturing PMI advanced to…
Gold price (XAU/USD) drifts higher on Friday as the Greenback stands firm, even as growing speculation that the US-Iran war may last longer than expected could, in the end, hurt the prospects of the yellow metal. The XAU/USD trades at $4,065, up 0.38%.XAU/USD gains as softer US yields counter Fed hike betsThe US Dollar Index (DXY), which tracks the buck’s value against a basket of six currencies, is slightly higher at 101.46 and poised to end the week with gains of over 0.60%. The yellow metal is also being propelled by the decline in US Treasury yields, with the 10-year…
UOB Global Economics & Markets Research notes that Bank Indonesia kept its policy rate at 5.75%, opting to let earlier tightening filter through. Despite the pause, the team still expects three further hikes totalling 75 bps by end-2026 to stabilise the Rupiah and inflation expectations, while USD/IDR edged slightly higher after what markets perceived as a hawkish hold.Further BI hikes expected to support Rupiah”Bank Indonesia maintained its benchmark policy rate at 5.75% at the Jul MPC meeting, likely choosing to allow the cumulative 100 bps tightening implemented between May and June to fully transmit through the real economy.””Despite the policy…
Silver (XAG/USD) edges higher on Friday as a pullback in Oil prices pushes US Treasury yields lower, while the US Dollar (USD) fluctuates near recent highs. At the time of writing, XAG/USD trades around $58.60, up 2.40% on the day.Despite the pullback, Oil prices and US Treasury yields remain elevated, keeping Silver’s upside in check as persistent inflation concerns reinforce hawkish Federal Reserve (Fed) expectations.Higher borrowing costs typically weigh on non-yielding assets such as Silver. According to the CME FedWatch Tool, traders see an 80% chance of a rate hike in September, although the Fed is widely expected to leave…
Rabobank’s Senior FX Strategist Jane Foley describes EUR/USD as wary after the July European Central Bank (ECB) meeting. Foley notes that the Euro (EUR) failed to gain support despite a hawkish ECB tone, while the Dollar benefits from safe haven demand and Federal Reserve (Fed) expectations. Foley still expects EUR/USD to trade in a choppy range around 1.14 over a 1-to-3-month horizon.Euro struggles as Dollar stays supported”Despite the hawkish takeaway from the July ECB policy meeting, the EUR failed to find support.””CFTC speculators’ position data highlight that since the start of the Iran war, confidence in the EUR has been…
The yen was on course for its steepest weekly decline since May on Friday, capping a turbulent stretch that has sent the currency to new 40-year lows versus the dollar despite Japan’s pledges to stabilise the currency.Verbal efforts to support the yen have had limited effect, and some analysts believe even intervention would, at best, only buy policymakers some extra time.Unless the Bank of Japan raises rates more quickly, the structural forces weighing on the currency were likely to remain in place, they said.The U.S. Treasury Department on Thursday joined calls for rate hikes by the BOJ, warning that excessive…