Trump Says No Hormuz Strait Tolls During 60-Day Iran Ceasefire 
China’s AI Manufacturing Boom Masks Weak Consumer Economy, Citi Says 
Europe EV Demand Surges as Fuel Prices Rise Amid Iran Conflict 
US Stock Futures Slip After Wall Street Rally Fueled by US-Iran Deal and Chipmaker Surge 
Dollar Hits One-Month High as Hawkish Fed Outlook Boosts Greenback 
Asian Currencies Steady as Dollar Holds Firm Ahead of Fed Decision and US-Iran Deal Details 
German Industry Employment Falls to Lowest Level in a Decade 
Dollar Surges After Fed Holds Rates Steady, Signals Potential Tightening Ahead 
German Auto Suppliers Turn Bearish as Investment and Jobs Shift Overseas 
Japan Signals Readiness to Intervene as USD/JPY Nears 161 Amid Yen Weakness 
Italy’s Economy Outpaces Eurozone Peers as Investment Spending Fuels Growth 
Yen Near 40-Year Lows Despite BOJ Rate Hike, Markets Brace for Possible Intervention 
Australia Eases Capital Gains Tax Reforms to Support Small Businesses and Startups 
US Stock Futures Jump on Reports of Preliminary US-Iran Peace Deal Despite Fed’s Hawkish Outlook 
Oil Prices Drop as U.S.-Iran Peace Deal Eases Supply Concerns 
Oil Prices Slide as U.S.-Iran Deal and Hormuz Reopening Ease Supply Concerns 
Gold Prices Rebound on U.S.-Iran Peace Deal Optimism Despite Fed Rate Hike Signals 
The U.S. dollar opened December on weaker footing as global investors prepared for a pivotal month marked by a potential final Federal Reserve rate cut of the year and growing expectations for a dovish successor to Fed Chair Jerome Powell. Currency markets in Asia were particularly focused on Bank of Japan (BOJ) Governor Kazuo Ueda’s upcoming speech, which could offer clues on whether Japan is ready to shift toward a rate hike to help stabilise the yen.
Following last week’s hours-long outage at CME Group that disrupted global trading across major asset classes, foreign exchange markets were back in full action on Monday. Even so, price movements were limited as traders awaited key data releases and policy signals expected throughout December.
The Japanese yen extended earlier gains after fresh data showed corporate investment rose 2.9% in the July–September period compared to the previous year. The figure suggested Japan’s economy is managing the impact of U.S. tariffs better than expected. The yen strengthened 0.2% to 155.84 per dollar, moving away from last month’s 10-month low of 157.90—a level that had prompted speculation of possible intervention. Japan’s Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama reiterated concerns over recent “erratic” currency swings, saying they were not aligned with economic fundamentals.
Analysts expect Ueda may use his speech to guide markets toward a potential December rate hike, especially as officials have increasingly expressed concern about rapid yen depreciation. Meanwhile, the euro edged up to $1.1600, and the British pound held steady at $1.3240 after gaining broadly last week following the release of the UK’s long-awaited budget.
Market attention remained fixed on U.S. monetary policy, with traders pricing in an 87% chance of a 25-basis-point Fed rate cut next week. Reports naming White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett as the leading candidate for the next Fed chair also weighed on the dollar, which slipped to 99.42 against a basket of currencies.
In the crypto market, bitcoin fell 3.6% to $87,881.82, while ether dropped 5% to $2,871.59 as broader risk sentiment remained cautious.
