European EV Sales Surge in April 2026 as Tesla and Chinese Automakers Gain Ground 
Gold Prices Slip as Stronger Dollar and Iran Peace Talk Uncertainty Weigh on Market 
US Launches New Trade Investigation Into Vietnam Over Intellectual Property Concerns 
S&P 500 Hits Record High as Tech Rally Slows Amid Iran Peace Uncertainty 
UK Grocery Inflation Slows to 3.1% as Supermarket Price Pressures Ease in May 2026 
Dow Hits Record High as Healthcare and Consumer Stocks Lead Wall Street Rally 
Tokyo Inflation Cools in May, Supporting BOJ’s Cautious Rate Hike Path 
Mega IPOs Like SpaceX and OpenAI Could Reshape S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 Portfolios in 2026 
South Korea Central Bank Holds Interest Rates Steady Amid Inflation Concerns 
Dollar Gains Slightly as U.S.-Iran Tensions Keep Forex Markets on Edge 
Oil Prices Set for Sharp Weekly Losses as U.S.-Iran Ceasefire Hopes Ease Supply Concerns 
US Imposes Fresh Iran Oil Sanctions Despite Progress on Ceasefire Talks 
Canada and Germany Advance Major LNG Supply Partnership 
Asian Markets Slide as New U.S. Strikes on Iran Spark Investor Caution 
European Stocks Rise as AI Optimism Offsets U.S.-Iran Tensions 
Asian Currencies Steady as U.S.-Iran Ceasefire Extension Hopes Weigh on Dollar 
Asian currencies were largely unchanged on Wednesday as subdued Lunar New Year trading kept market activity light across the region. With major financial centers such as China and Hong Kong closed for the holiday, foreign exchange markets saw limited volatility despite ongoing U.S. dollar consolidation ahead of key economic data releases.
The U.S. Dollar Index rose 0.1% after modest overnight gains, while U.S. Dollar Index futures also edged 0.1% higher in early GMT trading. Investors remained cautious as they awaited the Federal Reserve’s January meeting minutes and the upcoming U.S. personal consumption expenditures (PCE) price index report, a key inflation indicator that could shape expectations for future interest rate policy.
The New Zealand dollar was the biggest mover in the region. The NZD/USD pair dropped nearly 1% after the Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) kept its official cash rate unchanged at 2.25%. The central bank reiterated its accommodative monetary policy stance, signaling that interest rates would remain supportive as inflation gradually returns to its 2% midpoint target. The RBNZ noted that spare economic capacity and moderate wage growth are likely to keep price pressures contained over the next year. Following the announcement, markets scaled back expectations for near-term rate hikes, pushing tightening bets toward late 2026 and weighing on the kiwi dollar.
In Japan, fresh trade data showed exports surged 16.8% year-on-year in January, while imports declined, resulting in a narrower-than-expected trade deficit of 1.15 trillion yen. Despite the strong export performance, the USD/JPY pair edged 0.1% higher.
Elsewhere in Asia, currency movements were muted. The South Korean won traded flat against the dollar, the Singapore dollar gained 0.1%, and the offshore Chinese yuan remained steady. The Indian rupee posted marginal gains, while the Australian dollar slipped 0.2% against the greenback as traders positioned ahead of critical U.S. economic signals.
