Posted at 19 May 2026 / Categories Market Roundups
Market Roundup
• New Zealand PPI Input (QoQ) (Q1): 1.4%, 0.8% forecast, -0.5% previous.
•New Zealand Electronic Card Retail Sales (MoM) (Apr): -1.3%, 0.7% previous.
•New Zealand PPI Output (QoQ) (Q1): 0.8%, 0.5% forecast, 0.1% previous.
•New Zealand Electronic Card Retail Sales (YoY) (Apr): 2.0%, 2.7% previous.
•Japan GDP (QoQ) (Q1): 0.5%, 0.4% forecast, 0.2% previous.
•Japan GDP (YoY) (Q1): 2.1%, 1.7% forecast, 0.8% previous.
•Japan GDP Price Index (YoY) (Q1): 3.4%, 3.1% forecast, 3.4% previous.
•Japan GDP External Demand (QoQ) (Q1): 0.3%, 0.2% forecast, 0.0% previous.
•Japan GDP Capital Expenditure (QoQ) (Q1): 0.3%, 0.2% forecast, 1.4% previous.
•Japan GDP Private Consumption (QoQ) (Q1): 0.3%, 0.2% forecast, 0.0% previous.
•Australia Westpac Consumer Sentiment (May): 3.5%, -12.5% previous
•Japan Industrial Production (MoM) (Mar): -0.4%, -0.5% forecast, -2.0% previous.
•Japan Capacity Utilization (MoM) (Mar): -1.2%, -0.1% previous.
•Japan Tertiary Industry Activity Index (Mar): 16.50, -0.40 forecast, -1.10 previous.
•UK Employment Change 3M/3M (MoM) (Mar): 148K, 107K forecast, 25K previous.
•UK Unemployment Rate (Mar): 5.0%, 4.9% forecast, 4.9% previous.
•UK Average Earnings Index +Bonus (Mar): 4.1%, 3.8% forecast, 3.9% previous.
•UK Claimant Count Change (Apr): 26.5K, 23.1K forecast, 4.9K previous.
•UK Average Earnings ex Bonus (Mar): 3.4%, 3.4% forecast, 3.6% previous.
Looking Ahead Economic Data (GMT)
• 10:00 Euro Trade Balance (Mar): 5.4B forecast, 11.5B previous.
• 10:00 Germany 5-Year Bobl Auction: 2.740% previous.
• 12:00 China FDI (Apr): -7.30% previous.
Looking Ahead Events And Other Releases (GMT)
•No Events Ahead
Currency Summaries
EUR/USD : The euro dipped against on Tuesday as traders digested U.S. President Donald Trump's announcement that he had paused a planned attack against Iran to allow negotiations. The dollar had risen during the past week amid an escalation of the war ?in the Middle East and a selloff gripping global bond markets, as investors repriced the risk that central banks would have to tighten policy to ?contain inflation with the Strait of Hormuz remaining closed and energy markets disrupted.Fed funds futures are pricing an implied 37.4% probability of a 25-basis-point hike at the U.S. central bank's two-day meeting on December 9, compared to a 0.5% chance a month ago, according to the CME Group's FedWatch tool. Immediate resistance can be seen at 1.1661(Daily high), an upside break can trigger rise towards 1.1705(SMA 20).On the downside, immediate support is seen at 1.1603(23.6%fib), a break below could take the pair towards 1.1584(Lower BB).
GBP/USD: Sterling slipped on Tuesday as investors assessed mixed UK labor market report.Britain's ?employers reined in their hiring and posted fewer job vacancies in April, according to data published on Tuesday which added to signs of the impact of the Iran war on the economy. Early payroll data from the tax office - which are prone to revision, especially around the start of the tax year in April - showed a heavy fall of 100,000 in the month from March.The Office for National Statistics said the drop was the biggest since May 2020, at the start of the COVID-19 ?pandemic, but stressed that the figures were likely to be revised. 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 eased on Tuesday as investors digested minutes of the RBA's May meeting.RBA minutes showed policymakers debated holding rates steady or hiking 25 bps to 4.35% at the May meeting.Eight of the nine RBA board members saw a stronger case for a rate hike, citing rising inflation risks from the prolonged Middle East conflict and concerns that a 4.1% cash rate may not be restrictive enough.Members agreed to closely watch incoming data and evolving risks, while noting monetary policy could not change the near-term inflation path and economic growth was likely to remain below potential for some time.Markets are pricing in around a 75% chance of another rate hike in August, with interest rates expected to peak near 4.60% and some risk of rising as high as 4.85. Immediate resistance can be seen at 0.7175(38.2%fib), an upside break can trigger rise towards 0.7196(SMA 20).On the downside, immediate support is seen at 0.7098(Lower BB), a break below could take the pair towards 0.7084(50%fib).
USD/JPY: The U.S. dollar firmed on Tuesday as greenback as stronger dollar offset stronger-than-expected Japan's Q1 GDP data. Japan’s economy expanded faster than expected in Q1, supported by strong exports and steady consumer spending, data showed. Japan’s real GDP grew at an annualised 2.1% in the first quarter, data showed on Tuesday, beating the median forecast of 1.7% and improving from a revised 0.8% expansion in the October–December quarter. The world’s fourth-largest economy expanded for a second straight quarter, supported by strong exports, with net external demand contributing 0.3 percentage point to growth, data showed. The data will be closely watched by the Bank of Japan as it evaluates whether the economy can withstand the energy shock and consider raising interest rates as soon as next month. Immediate resistance can be seen at 159.08(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
Asian equities were mixed on Tuesday as tech stocks mirrored overnight declines on Wall Street, while markets evaluated upbeat Japanese GDP figures and monitored ongoing Middle East tensions.
Japan’s Nikkei 225 was down by 0.12% , Hang Seng was up at 0.45%, China A50 was up at 0.26%
Commodities Recap
Gold prices fell on Tuesday, but stayed above a 1-1/2-month low hit in the last session, as markets consolidated while awaiting further developments after U.S. President Donald Trump paused a planned attack against Iran.
Spot gold fell ?0.4% to $4,548.64 per ounce by 0716 GMT, but above $4,479.54, the lowest level since ?March 30 hit on Monday. U.S. gold futures for June delivery lost ?0.1% to $4,551.80.
Oil prices fell by nearly 2% on Tuesday in ?early Asian trade after U.S. President Donald Trump said he had paused a planned attack on Iran to allow for negotiations to end the war in the Middle East.
Brent futures for July delivery fell $1.98, or 1.8%, to $110.12 a barrel at 0628 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude for June delivery fell 30 cents, or 0.3%, to $108.36.