The US S&P Global Services PMI in March reported that business activity in the sector is slowing sharply, falling to contractionary territory for the first time since January 2023, amid higher inflation and the war in the Middle East.

United States S&P Global Composite PMI came in at 50.3, below expectations (51.4) in March

United States S&P Global Services PMI came in at 49.8 below forecasts (51.1) in March

United States President Donald Trump is on the wires on Good Friday, claiming the US can easily reopen the Strait of Hormuz, take the oil, and make a fortune on Truth Social.

United States Average Hourly Earnings (YoY) registered at 3.5%, below expectations (3.7%) in March

United States Average Hourly Earnings (MoM) below expectations (0.3%) in March: Actual (0.2%)

United States Average Weekly Hours below forecasts (34.3) in March: Actual (34.2)

United States U6 Underemployment Rate fell from previous 7.9% to -8% in March

United States Nonfarm Payrolls above forecasts (60K) in March: Actual (178K)

United States Unemployment Rate came in at 4.3% below forecasts (4.4%) in March

United States Labor Force Participation Rate declined to 61.9% in March from previous 62%

Italy Public Deficit/GDP down to -1.4% in 4Q from previous 3.4%

TradingKey - According to The Wall Street Journal, the situation in the Middle East continues to deteriorate: thousands of Marines and airborne troops are heading to the region under orders from Trump

Turkey Consumer Price Index (YoY) registered at 30.87%, below expectations (31.4%) in March

Turkey Consumer Price Index (MoM) below forecasts (2.32%) in March: Actual (1.94%)

USD/JPY remains in the positive territory for the third successive day after registering over 0.5% gains on Thursday, currently trading around 159.60 during the Asian hours on Friday. However, the pair moves little due to thin trading activity amid the Good Friday holiday.

France Industrial Output (MoM) below forecasts (0%) in February: Actual (-0.7%)

Russia S&P Global Services PMI declined to 49.5 in March from previous 51.3

The United States (US) Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) will release the Nonfarm Payrolls (NFP) data for March on Friday at 12:30 GMT. 

China's Services Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) eased to 52.1 in March from 56.7 in February, the latest data published by RatingDog showed on Friday. This figure came in weaker than the expectations of 53.7.

China RatingDog Services PMI came in at 52.1 below forecasts (53.7) in March

Japan Jibun Bank Services PMI came in at 53.4, above expectations (52.8) in March

Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago President Austan Goolsbee said on Thursday that he is concerned about the timing of rising oil prices, stating that they could hinder efforts to reduce inflation.

US President Donald Trump signed an executive order that could slap up to 100% on certain imported medicines from companies that don't reach deals with his administration in the coming months, Bloomberg reported on Thursday.

UOB’s Global Economics & Markets Research, led by Enrico Tanuwidjaja and Vincentius Ming Shen, notes that Indonesia’s trade surplus widened slightly in February 2026 to USD1.27bn, extending 70 months of gains.

ING’s Min Joo Kang notes that South Korea’s March consumer price inflation rose modestly, with government fuel caps and food vouchers limiting the impact of higher Oil costs. Core inflation eased slightly, but ING expects recent energy and currency moves to push prices higher in coming months.

Commerzbank’s Volkmar Baur highlights that China’s economy started 2026 slightly better than expected, driven by a sharp rise in exports and a swelling current account surplus.

South Korea FX Reserves dipped from previous 427.62B to 423.66B in March

United Overseas Bank’s Quek Ser Leang notes that USD/SGD is currently under near-term pressure toward 1.2760, but the broader technical backdrop still points to a recovery phase in the second quarter.

DBS Group Research economist Radhika Rao discusses new Reserve Bank of India (RBI) measures aimed at defending the Indian Rupee (INR). The RBI has barred banks from offering rupee NDF contracts to residents and offshore users while keeping deliverable hedging channels open.