Posted at 18 May 2026 / Categories Market Roundups
Market Roundup
• Italian Trade Balance EU (Mar)-1.08B , -0.61B previous
• Italian Trade Balance (Mar) 4.709B, 5.250B forecast, 4.983B previous
• French 12-Month BTF Auction 2.642%, 2.613% previous
• French 3-Month BTF Auction 2.250%, 2.234% previous
• French 6-Month BTF Auction 2.412%, 2.421% previous
Looking Ahead Economic Data (GMT)
•16:30 US 3-Month Bill Auction 3.610% previous
•16:30 US 6-Month Bill Auction 3.615% previous
•21:00 US TIC Net Long-Term Transactions (Mar) 58.6B previous
Looking Ahead Events And Other Releases (GMT)
•No Events Ahead
Currency Summaries
EUR/USD : The euro strenthened against on Monday after a drone attack on a nuclear power plant in the United Arab Emirates intensified tensions in the Middle East.Oil ?prices climbed on Monday, with Brent crude futures rising more than 1% to over $110 a barrel, after a nuclear power plant in the United Arab Emirates came under attack and efforts to end the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran appear to have stalled. U.S. President ?Donald Trump on Sunday threatened consequences ?for ?Iran if its leaders ?do ?not act ?quickly. German Central Bank head Joachim Nagel said that central bankers could do "a lot more" to help financial markets and give them a positive momentum ahead of a Group of Seven finance ministers and central bankers meeting in Paris on Monday.Money ?markets currently expect more ?than two rate hikes ?from the European Central Bank by the end of the year, with the first one likely in June.. Immediate resistance can be seen at 1.1666(50%fib), an upside break can trigger rise towards 1.1727(SMA 20).On the downside, immediate support is seen at 1.1547(38.2%fib), a break below could take the pair towards 1.1501(April 67th low).
GBP/USD: Sterling strengthened on Monday as the Middle East conflict continued to unsettle investors. A drone strike caused a fire at a nuclear power plant in the United Arab Emirates, while Saudi Arabia reported intercepting three drones, as U.S. President Donald Trump warned that Iran must act "fast" to reach a deal.Meanwhile, the vital Strait of Hormuz remains closed to all but a trickle of shipping as Tehran tries to formalise its control of the waterway that during normal times carries 20% of the world's oil and gas trade.Investors are closely watching this week’s key UK data releases, including March unemployment figures, April inflation, May PMI surveys and April retail sales, for clues on the Bank of England’s policy outlook. Immediate resistance can be seen at 1.3414(Daily high), an upside break can trigger rise towards 1.3475(38.2%fib).On the downside, immediate support is seen at 1.3321(38.2%fib), a break below could take the pair towards 1.3154(23.6%fib).
AUD/USD: Australian dollar strengthened on Monday as the U.S. dollar weakened amid renewed optimism that the United States and Iran could soon reach a diplomatic agreement .Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson ?Esmaeil Baghaei confirmed that Tehran's views had been "conveyed to the ?American side through mediator Pakistan".U.S. President Donald Trump said last ?week that a ceasefire with Iran, which was reached in early April, ?was "on life support" after Tehran's response to a U.S. proposal to end the war made clear the two sides were still far apart on a number ?of issues.The issues holding up negotiations between the two sides include ?Iran's nuclear ambitions and its control of the Strait of Hormuz, where it has shut ?down shipping traffic that normally carries one-fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas... Immediate resistance can be seen at 0.7191(SMA 20), an upside break can trigger rise towards 0.7270(23.6%fib).On the downside, immediate support is seen at 0.7121(Daily low), a break below could take the pair towards 0.7112(Lower BB).
USD/JPY: The U.S. dollar edged higher on Monday as the Japanese yen weakened as investors remained alert for potential currency market intervention by Japanese authorities..Officials in Tokyo intervened a couple of times in late April and into early May, which saw the yen strengthen by around 3.5% in the days that followed, but the currency has given up roughly 7% of that rally already.Japan's government is likely to issue fresh debt as part of funding for a planned extra budget to cushion the economic blow from the Middle East war, a government source with direct knowledge of the deliberations told Reuters on Monday. The yen last traded at 158.66, around its weakest since April 29, which put investors on alert for a possible intervention. Immediate resistance can be seen at 159.06(38.2%fib) an upside break can trigger rise towards 159.00(Psychological level) .On the downside, immediate support is seen at 158.23(SMA 20) a break below could take the pair towards 157.78(50%fib ).
Equities Recap
European shares slipped on Monday as inflation concerns persisted amid no signs of a breakthrough in negotiations between the United States and Iran to end their three-month-long conflict.
At GMT (13:40) UK's benchmark FTSE 100 was last trading up at 0.47 percent, Germany's Dax was up by 0.09 percent, France’s CAC was down by 0.83percent.
Commodities Recap
Gold edged higher on Monday from a more than one-and-a-half-month low recorded earlier in the session, although gains were capped as rising fears of inflation and elevated interest rates pushed global bond yields higher.
Spot gold was up 0.3% at $4,552.59 per ounce ?as of 1215 GMT, after hitting its lowest level since March 30 earlier in ?the day. U.S. gold futures for June delivery lost 0.1% at $4,557.
il prices dropped on Monday after an Iranian news report saying that the United States had accepted waiving sanctions on Iranian crude oil temporarily.
Brent crude ?futures fell $1.48, or 1.4%, to $107.78 a barrel by 1310 GMT after touching $112 for ?their highest since May 5.U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude was down $1.9, or 1.8%, ?at $103.52 a barrel after touching its highest since April 30 at $108.70. The front-month June ?contract expires on Tuesday.