China's 15th Five-Year Plan (2026–2030) was officially submitted for review to the National People's Congress (NPC) on Thursday. This strategic blueprint marks a critical shift toward "high-quality development" and technological self-reliance to navigate a more volatile global environment.

Asian stock markets recover significantly on Thursday after facing a bloodbath in the last three trading days. The strong recovery move in equity markets from the largest continent seems to be backed by the arrival of significant value bets after plunging due to the war in the Middle East.

The Indian Rupee (INR) surges in the opening trade against the US Dollar (USD) on Thursday.

The Iranian government denied reports that it had sent a message to the United States (US) amid the ongoing conflict. Tehran declared that the armed forces had prepared for a long-term war instead of negotiating.

Singapore Retail Sales (YoY): -0.4% (January) vs previous 2.7%

Singapore Retail Sales (MoM) climbed from previous -5.4% to 6.1% in January

TradingKey - On March 4, local time, the U.S. Senate rejected a resolution aimed at restricting Trump's military actions against Iran with a vote of 47 in favor and 52 against. This means a majority o

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said on Thursday that global economic resilience is being tested yet again by new Middle East conflict.

The AUD/USD pair attracts some sellers to around 0.7065 during the Asian trading hours on Thursday. The Australian Dollar (AUD) weakens against the US Dollar (USD) as Australia's trade surplus narrows unexpectedly in January.

In an annual report presented by Premier Li Qiang at the opening session of this year's meeting of the National People's Congress (NPC) on Thursday, China set its 2026 economic growth target at 4.5%-5%, slightly lower than the 5% pace achieved last year.

The People’s Bank of China (PBOC) sets the USD/CNY central rate for the trading session ahead on Thursday at 6.9124 compared to Wednesday’s fix of 6.9124 and close of 6.9551.

West Texas Intermediate (WTI) Oil price remains stronger for the third successive session, trading around $74.80 per barrel during the Asian hours on Thursday. Crude Oil prices climb as supply disruptions persist amid ongoing Middle East war.

Australia Trade Balance (MoM) came in at 2631M, below expectations (3900M) in January

Australia Imports (MoM) increased to 0.8% in January from previous -0.8%

Australia Exports (MoM): -0.9% (January) vs previous 1%

Japan Foreign Investment in Japan Stocks climbed from previous ¥402B to ¥973.9B in February 27

DBS Group Research economists Radhika Rao and Chua Han Teng argue that Indonesia’s growth outlook remains intact despite Middle East tensions. They highlight negligible trade exposure to Iran, diversified links with Gulf economies and net commodity exporter status.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics will publish its data for December on Thursday at 00.30 GMT. Australia’s Trade Surplus is expected to widen to 3,900M MoM in January, compared to 3,373M in December.Trade Balance gives an early indication of the net export performance.

South Korea FX Reserves rose from previous 425.91B to 427.62B in February

Standard Chartered’s Hunter Chan and Shuang Ding expect China’s January-February hard data to show resilience despite soft official PMIs.

The Federal Reserve's (Fed) March 2026 Beige Book, based on data collected through February 23, showed mixed economic conditions. Seven of twelve districts reported slight to moderate growth, but the number of flat or declining districts rose from four to five.

DBS Group Research economists Radhika Rao and Chua Han Teng stress Singapore’s strong growth momentum, AI-related tailwinds and low inflation, but warn that higher Oil costs and supply chain disruptions could pressure consumers, exporters and manufacturers while MAS policy depends on Brent dynamics.

Nordea Chief Economist Helge J. Pedersen discusses how Denmark’s strong public finances and rising employment provide a solid base to absorb sharply higher defense spending mandated by NATO’s new 5% of GDP target.

Russia Unemployment Rate came in at 2.2%, below expectations (2.3%) in February

Rabobank’s Senior Macro Strategist Stefan Koopman argues that the recent surge in Oil and natural gas prices has derailed expectations for near-term Bank of England rate cuts, with the policy rate now seen on hold through 2026.

Economic activity in the US service sector gathered momentum in February, with the ISM Services PMI advancing to 56.1 from 53.8 in the previous month, coming in above analysts' expectations of 53.5.

United States ISM Services PMI came in at 56.1, above expectations (53.5) in February

United States ISM Services New Orders Index: 58.6 (February) vs 53.1

United States ISM Services Employment Index rose from previous 50.3 to 51.8 in February

United States ISM Services Prices Paid dipped from previous 66.6 to 63 in February