Posted at 21 May 2026 / Categories Market Roundups
Market Roundup
• Australia Judo Bank Manufacturing PMI (May): 50.2, 51.3 previous.
•Australia Manufacturing & Services PMI (May): 47.80, 50.40 previous.
•Australia Judo Bank Services PMI (May): 47.7, 50.7 previous.
•Japan Trade Balance (Apr): 301.9B, -29.7B forecast, 643.0B previous.
•Japan Exports YoY (Apr): 14.8%, 9.3% forecast, 11.5% previous.
•Japan Adjusted Trade Balance: 0.24T, -0.23T forecast, 0.09T previous.
•Japan Core Machinery Orders YoY (Mar): 5.9%, 4.5% forecast, 24.7% previous.
•Japan Imports YoY (Apr): 9.7%, 8.3% forecast, 10.9% previous.
•Japan Core Machinery Orders MoM (Mar): -9.4%, -7.7% forecast, 13.6% previous.
•Japan Foreign Bonds Buying: 758.7B, 1,644.3B previous.
•Japan Foreign Investments in Japanese Stocks: 949.6B, 1,393.5B previous.
•Japan au Jibun Bank Services PMI (May): 50.0, 51.0 previous.
•Japan Manufacturing & Services PMI (May): 51.10, 52.20 previous.
•Japan au Jibun Bank Manufacturing PMI (May): 54.5, 54.5 forecast, 55.1 previous.
•Australia MI Inflation Expectations (May): 5.6%, 5.9% previous.
•Australia Unemployment Rate (Apr): 4.5%, 4.3% forecast, 4.3% previous.
•Australia Full Employment Change (Apr): -10.7K, 63.4K previous.
•Australia Employment Change (Apr): -18.6K, 16.7K forecast, 23.3K previous.
•Australia Reserve Assets Total (Apr): 115.6B, 116.0B previous.
•Australia Participation Rate (Apr): 66.7%, 66.8% forecast, 66.8% previous.
•New Zealand Credit Card Spending YoY (Apr): 2.9%, 2.1% previous.
Looking Ahead Economic Data (GMT)
• 07:30 HCOB Germany Manufacturing PMI (May): 51.0 forecast, 51.4 previous.
• 07:30 HCOB Germany Services PMI (May): 47.1 forecast, 46.9 previous.
• 07:30 HCOB Germany Composite PMI (May): 48.4 forecast, 48.4 previous.
• 08:00 HCOB Eurozone Manufacturing PMI (May): 51.7 forecast, 52.2 previous.
• 08:00 HCOB Eurozone Services PMI (May): 47.8 forecast, 47.6 previous.
• 08:00 HCOB Eurozone Composite PMI (May): 48.8 forecast, 48.8 previous
• 08:00 Eurozone Current Account (Mar): 26.3B forecast, 24.9B previous.
• 08:00 Eurozone Current Account n.s.a. (Mar): 21.1B.
• 09:30 UK S&P Global Services PMI (May): 51.7 forecast, 52.7 previous.
• 09:30 UK S&P Global Composite PMI (May): 51.6 forecast, 52.6 previous.
Looking Ahead Events And Other Releases (GMT)
•No Events Ahead
Currency Summaries
EUR/USD : The euro edged lower on Thursday as dollar firmed slightly on hopes that Washington was nearing a deal with Tehran to end the war in the Middle East.U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday said negotiations with Tehran were in the final stages, while also warning of further attacks if Iran does not agree to a deal. Iran said it was reviewing Washington's latest position on ending the war after U.S. President ?Donald Trump suggested he was prepared to wait a few days to "get the right answers" from Tehran. The euro was down at $1.1623 after dipping to its weakest level on Wednesday since April 7 at $1.1583 before bouncing back . 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 1.1581(23.6%fib), a break below could take the pair towards 1.1526(April 7th low).
GBP/USD: Sterling eased on Thursday as a softer-than-expected April inflation reading tempered some interest-rate-hike bets. British inflation cooled by more than expected in April but the slowdown did little to mask a tough outlook for households, with global costs from the Iran war set to hit them harder later this year.Consumer prices rose by an annual 2.8%, down from March's annual inflation rate of 3.3%. Minutes of the Fed's April meeting showed a majority of policymakers felt "some policy firming would likely become appropriate" if inflation stays persistently above the central bank's 2% target. Meanwhile, markets are increasingly pricing in possibilities of the Federal Reserve tightening monetary policy this year, with a 39% chance of a 25 basis-point hike expected in December, per ?CME Group's FedWatch tool. 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 Thursday as a weaker-than-expected Australian labour market data weighed on Australian dollar. Australian employment unexpectedly fell in April, while the jobless rate rose to its highest level since late 2021, suggesting the labour market may be easing enough to reduce pressure for a near-term rate hike. Australian employment fell by 18,600 in April versus a revised 23,300 gain in March, well below expectations for a 15,000 increase, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Full-time jobs dropped 10,700 after a sharp rise in the previous month, adding to signs of softening labour market conditions.The unemployment rate rose to 4.5%, the highest since November 2021, versus expectations for it to remain unchanged at 4.3%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 0.7093(Lower BB), a break below could take the pair towards 0.7084(50%fib).
USD/JPY: The U.S. dollar traded in narrow range on Thursday as investors were cautious of possible Japanese intervention to support the yen. Markets remain cautious about the possibility of Japanese Ministry of Finance intervention should the pair push sharply higher again. However, dip-buying demand continues to emerge amid hopes for easing tensions in the Middle East, contributing to softer crude oil prices, though traders remain unconvinced that a lasting resolution is close.On the data front, Japanese exports rose for an eighth consecutive month in April, beating market forecasts as resilient global demand helped offset major supply disruptions caused by the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran.Separate data showed, Japan’s manufacturing activity slowed slightly in May, while service sector growth stalled for the first time in over a year, as rising costs linked to the Middle East conflict hurt business confidence, a survey showed on Thursday. 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 stocks rallied on Thursday as some vessels resumed transit through the Strait of Hormuz, easing supply concerns, while strong earnings from Nvidia and the suspension of a workers’ strike at Samsung Electronics boosted chipmaker shares.
Japan’s Nikkei 225 was up by 3.01% , Hang Seng was down at 1.02%,South Korea's KOSPI was up by 8.42%
Commodities Recap
Oil prices rose more than 1% on Thursday, recovering some of the previous session’s sharp losses as investors monitored ongoing U.S.-Iran peace talks, while tightening supplies and declining U.S. crude inventories provided additional support to the market.
Brent crude futures rose $1.27, or 1.21%, to $106.29 a barrel by 0618 GMT, and U.S. West Texas Intermediate futures were up $1.29 cents, or 1.31%, at $99.55.
Gold edged lower on Thursday as higher U.S. Treasury yields and a firmer dollar pressured the metal, while hopes for a resolution to the U.S.-Iran conflict helped limit losses.
Spot gold was down 0.3% at $4,528.03 per ounce, as of 0611 GMT. Bullion had gained more than 1% on ?Wednesday after falling to its lowest level since March 30 earlier in the day.U.S. ?gold futures for June delivery fell 0.1% at $4,528.90.