Posted at 16 April 2026 / Categories Market Roundups
Market Roundup
• UK GDP (MoM) (Feb): 0.5%, 0.1% forecast, 0.1% previous
• UK Manufacturing Production (MoM) (Feb): -0.1%, 0.3% forecast, 0.2% previous
• UK Monthly GDP 3M/3M Change (Feb): 0.5%, 0.2% forecast, 0.3% previous
• UK Trade Balance Non-EU (Feb): -7.10B, -4.11B previous
• UK Trade Balance (Feb): -18.79B, -19.40B forecast, -15.08B previous
• UK Industrial Production (MoM) (Feb): 0.5%, 0.3% forecast, -0.1% previous
• UK Construction Output (MoM) (Feb): 1.0%, -0.4% forecast, 0.5% previous
• UK Construction Output (YoY) (Feb): -1.0%, -0.4% forecast, -1.9% previous
•UK GDP (YoY) (Feb): 1.0%, 0.6% forecast, 0.7% previous
•UK Industrial Production (YoY) (Feb): -0.4%, -0.9% forecast, 0.5% previous
•UK Manufacturing Production (YoY) (Feb): -0.5%, -0.3% forecast, 1.3% previous
•UK Index of Services: 0.5%, 0.3% forecast, 0.2% previous
Looking Ahead Economic Data(GMT)
•12:30 US Philadelphia Fed Manufacturing Index (Apr): 10.3 forecast, 18.1 previous
•12:30 US Initial Jobless Claims: 213K, 219K previous
•12:30 US Continuing Jobless Claims: 1,810K forecast, 1,794K previous
•12:30 US Jobless Claims 4-Week Avg.: 209.50K previous
•12:30 US Philly Fed Employment (Apr): 0.8 previous
•12:30 US Philly Fed Business Conditions (Apr): 40.0 previous
•12:30 US Philly Fed Prices Paid (Apr): 44.70 previous
•12:30 US Philly Fed New Orders (Apr): 8.6 previous
•12:30 US Philly Fed CAPEX Index (Apr): 25.80 previous
•13:15 US Industrial Production (YoY) (Mar) 1.44% previous
•13:15 US Industrial Production (MoM) (Mar) 0.1% forecast, 0.2% previous
•13:15 US Manufacturing Production (MoM) (Mar) 0.1% forecast, 0.2% previous
•13:15 US Capacity Utilization Rate (Mar)76.3% forecast, 76.3%previous
•15:30 US Natural Gas Storage 55Bforecast ,50B previous
•16:30 US 4-Week Bill Auction 3.560% previous
•16:30 US 8-Week Bill Auction 3.575% previous
Looking Ahead Events And Other Releases (GMT)
• 16:40 UK BoE Deputy Governor Woods Speaks
• 17:45 German Buba President Nagel Speaks
•19:30 EU ECB's Lane Speaks
Currency Forecast
EUR/USD : The euro dipped on Thursday as dollar gained some traction on hopes for a peace deal with Iran . President Donald Trump said the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran was "close to over," while the White House expressed optimism about a deal, saying more in-person talks would likely take place in Pakistan again.Adding to the optimism, Trump said in a post on Truth Social that direct talks between Israel and Lebanon "will happen tomorrow", with ending the fighting in Lebanon having been a key sticking point in earlier peace talks.The euro which has recovered its war-driven losses, was down 0.14% at $1.177, near its highest since March 2. Immediate resistance can be seen at 1.1823(50%fib), an upside break can trigger rise towards 1.1900(Psychological level).On the downside, immediate support is seen at 1.1728(61.8%fib), a break below could take the pair towards 1.1658(April 14th low).
GBP/USD: Sterling edged lower on Thursday as dollar gained as optimism grew about a deal to end the Iran war, while traders digested a buffet of UK economic data .Britain’s economy grew 0.5% month-on-month in February, according to the Office for National Statistics, marking the fastest pace since January 2024 and beating expectations of 0.2%. Growth was broad-based, led by services, with a notable rise in car production.The pound has also been supported by expectations that the Bank of England could raise interest rates once or twice this year, enhancing the appeal of UK assets. Immediate resistance can be seen at 1.3591(Higher BB), an upside break can trigger rise towards 1.3655(38.2%fib).On the downside, immediate support is seen at 1.3532(50%fib), a break below could take the pair towards 1.3499(April 14th low).
AUD/USD: Australian dollar hit 4 year high on Thursday as relatively upbeat Chinese economic data and solid jobs numbers at home boosted Australian dollar .Data released Thursday showed Australia’s employment rose in line with expectations in March, with unemployment steady at 4.3%, though a war-driven global energy shock may soon test labour market resilience.The upbeat outcome reinforced bets of a 70% probability of a third rate hike in May, with April 29 CPI data likely to be decisive. Separately, China’s economy grew 5% annually in Q1, supported by strong exports and policy measures, keeping industry firm and boosting demand for Australian resources. Immediate resistance can be seen at 0.7156 (Higher BB), an upside break can trigger rise towards 0.7183(23.6%fib).On the downside, immediate support is seen at 0.7073(38.2%fib), a break below could take the pair towards 0.6990(50%fib).
USD/JPY: The U.S. dollar initially dipped on Thursday but recovered ground as investors reacted to Japan’s Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama verbal warnings on the sidelines of the G20 meetings.Following a meeting with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Katayama said the U.S. and Japan have agreed to maintain closer communication on foreign exchange rates. Japanese Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama said on Wednesday that she had informed her G7 counterparts Tokyo is closely monitoring market movements, including currency fluctuations, amid heightened volatility. Many central banks are adopting a wait-and-see approach amid uncertainty over the Middle East conflict and rate hike impacts, Katayama said after the G7 meeting.Bank of Japan Governor ?Kazuo Ueda also attended the G7 meeting, though Katayama declined to say ?how the uncertainty could affect its interest rate decisions. Immediate resistance can be seen at 159.23(SMA 20) an upside break can trigger rise towards 160.00(Psychological level) .On the downside, immediate support is seen at 158.73(38.2%fib) a break below could take the pair towards 158.07(Lower BB).
Equities Recap
European shares edged higher on Thursday as optimism over a potential resolution to the Middle East conflict boosted sentiment, while investors continued to assess regional corporate earnings.
At GMT (13:40) UK's benchmark FTSE 100 was last trading up at 0.63 percent, Germany's Dax was up by 0.55 percent, France’s CAC was up by 0.56 percent.
Commodities Recap
Gold prices rose Thursday as optimism over a potential end to Middle East conflicts eased inflation concerns and boosted expectations of lower interest rates.
Spot gold rose 0.6% to $4,819.66 per ounce by 1207 GMT, after rising to a one-month high in the previous session. ?U.S. gold futures for June delivery gained 0.4% to $4,841.70..
Oil prices rose Thursday, reversing earlier losses as doubts grew over whether U.S.–Iran peace talks would deliver a deal to end the war disrupting Middle East energy supplies.
Brent crude futures climbed 67 cents, or 0.7%, to $95.60 a barrel at 1205 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude ?futures were up 17 cents, or 0.2%, to $91.46 a barrel.