Deutsche Bank’s Sanjay Raja expects the United Kingdom (UK) labour market to remain weak after a surprise drop in the jobless rate driven by self-employment.

According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) staff, the Bank of England (BoE) doesn’t need to raise rates this year, based on the current energy price outlook.

TD Securities strategists judge China’s April data as weak, citing higher Oil prices and soft consumer sentiment. They expect targeted fiscal stimulus focused on infrastructure and see the PBoC remaining cautious on easing.

TradingKey - During Asian trading on Monday (May 18), the 10-year Japanese Government Bond (JGB) yield rose to 2.8% at one point, reaching a nearly 29-and-a-half-year high since October 1996. Last Fri

Deutsche Bank strategists note that the S&P 500 has extended its run to seven consecutive weekly gains, the longest since 2023, even as rising bond yields and Oil prices triggered the worst daily decline since March.

Standard Chartered strategists note that China’s April data showed weaker domestic demand, with both consumption and investment slowing even as exports supported industrial production.

According to a Reuters report, the Japanese government plans to issue fresh debt as part of its funding for a planned extra budget, a scenario that would undermine the Japanese Yen (JPY) and boost yields on Japanese Government Bonds (JGBs).

ING’s Chris Turner highlights that rising US Treasury yields and a bearish yield curve steepening are pressuring the Federal Reserve (Fed) to sound more hawkish, even without immediate hikes. He notes high Oil prices and higher yields are negative for risk assets but supportive for the Dollar.

USD/JPY continues its winning streak for the sixth consecutive day, trading around 158.90 during the European hours on Monday.

United States (US) President Donald Trump said in an interview with Fortune, released during the European trading session on Monday, that Iran is dying to sign a deal with Washington. “I can tell you one thing—they’re dying to sign [a deal]," Trump said.

OCBC strategist Christopher Wong notes that Silver dropped around 9% to below US$76/oz, extending a sharper correction than Gold.

Italy Trade Balance EU declined to €-1.08B in March from previous €-0.652B

Italy Global Trade Balance registered at €4.709B, below expectations (€5.2B) in March

Bank of England (BoE) Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) member Megan Greene said on Monday, “the second-round effects of energy price shock won't show up for another year.”

According to the state media, Iran's foreign ministry spokesperson said during the European trading session on Monday that technical teams from Iran and Oman met last week in Oman to negotiate a mechanism for safe transit in the Strait of Hormuz.

Societe Generale’s team notes that the European Central Bank's (ECB Economic Bulletin stresses that a Middle East-driven Oil shock would hit inflation more than activity, but confidence effects could weigh on 2027 growth.

Japan Chief Cabinet Secretary Seiji Kihara said during the European trading session on Monday that the administration is watching market moves, including long-term rates, with a very high sense of urgency. However, Kihara denied commenting on potential intervention in forex markets.

Turkey Consumer Confidence rose from previous 85.5 to 85.8 in May

United Kingdom (UK) Deputy David Lammy to Prime Minister (PM) Keir Starmer said during the European trading session on Monday that the PM will not set out a timetable for his departure from Downing Street, according to Sky News. "There will be no timetable for departure," Lammy told, adding that he

ING analysts Warren Patterson and Ewa Manthey say Brent remains supported as the oil market reprices ongoing supply disruptions linked to the US-Iran standoff and tensions in the Persian Gulf.

Danske Research Team reports that global equities fell on Friday and remain weak, with Asian markets and US and European futures softer.

European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde said at the sidelines of the G7 finance ministers meeting in Paris, "I always worry, that's my job!” when asked if she was worried by a sell-off in global bond markets.

Bank of England (BoE) Deputy Governor Sarah Breeden warned that political uncertainty is hitting the business environment and cautioned that the UK central bank should not be "trigger happy" when adjusting interest rates, the Financial Times reported on Monday.

According to the China National Bureau of Statistics's (NBS) statistician, the economy is facing external challenges, but internal driving forces remain unchanged and solid.

AUD/USD loses ground for the third consecutive day, trading around 0.7130 during the Asian hours on Monday. The pair depreciates following key economic data from Australia’s close trading partner, China.

China Fixed Asset Investment (YTD) (YoY) registered at -1.6%, below expectations (1.6%) in April

China’s Retail Sales rose 0.2% year-over-year (YoY) in April vs. 2.0% expected and 1.7% in March, the latest data released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed Monday.

China Retail Sales (YoY) came in at 0.2%, below expectations (2%) in April

China Industrial Production (YoY) registered at 4.1%, below expectations (5.9%) in April

China House Price Index : -3.5% (April) vs previous -3.4%