Japan JP Foreign Reserves down to $1B in April from previous $1374.7B

Japan Overall Household Spending (YoY) came in at -2.9% below forecasts (-1.3%) in March

Gold price (XAU/USD) trades in positive territory around $4,750 during the early Asian session on Tuesday. The precious metal edges higher as traders assess developments in the United States (US)-Iran diplomacy and await key US inflation data, which is due later on Tuesday. 

Sterling pulled back from a fresh peak near 1.3650 on Monday, easing close to 1.3610 through European trade after the Asian session squeezed the Pound to a new local high.

The Australian Dollar firmed by less than 0.1% on Monday, holding around 0.7250 in another range-bound session below the 0.7280 ceiling.

ING’s Lynn Song notes that stronger China Consumer Price Index (CPI) and Producer Price Index (PPI) data in April, alongside resilient exports, reinforce a reflation narrative that reduces urgency for People’s Bank of China (PBoC) easing.

Societe Generale analysts observe USD/CNY trading below 6.80, with the Chinese Yuan at its strongest level since February 2023 ahead of the US/China summit.

The US Dollar Index (DXY) is holding firm near the 97.95 region as investors remain cautious despite some improvement in overall market sentiment and ongoing geopolitical tensions in the Middle East.

DBS Group Research economist Ma Tieying revises Taiwan’s policy rate outlook after upgrading 2026 Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and Consumer Price Index (CPI) forecasts. The team now expects an additional 12.5 bps hike in 3Q, taking the policy discount rate to 2.125%.

Circle (CRCL) reported strong first-quarter results on Monday, driven by continued growth in its stablecoin business and expanding efforts across blockchain infrastructure and AI-powered financial services.

Silver price rallies over 7% on Monday, clearing key technical resistance at $83.05 ─the April 17 daily high, and also the $85.00 psychological figure, which opened the door towards the $86.00 per troy ounce handle.

BNP Paribas economists note Chinese GDP growth at 5.0% year-on-year in Q1 2026, after 5% in 2025, and expects a moderate slowdown in 2026. They highlight a K-shaped pattern with strong exports but weak domestic demand and ongoing property sector stress.

Gold (XAU/USD) price advances modestly by 0.30% on Monday as the Iran-US conflict resolution stalls following Tehran’s proposal, which was disregarded by US President Donald Trump, who said that it was “totally unacceptable.” At the time of writing, XAU/USD trades at $4,726 after bouncing off daily

UOB economists Julia Goh and Loke Siew Ting note that Bank Negara Malaysia’s (BNM) foreign reserves climbed to USD129.7bn at end-April 2026, the highest since 2014, providing a stronger buffer for the Malaysian Ringgit (MYR).

USD/CAD fluctuates between minor gains and losses on Monday as the pair faces opposing pressure from a steady US Dollar (USD) and elevated Oil prices. At the time of writing, USD/CAD is trading nearly flat around 1.3672.

The USD/JPY pair elevates near the 157.10 region on Monday, with the US Dollar (USD) strenghtening after United States (US) President Donald Trump rejected Iran’s latest peace proposal, calling it “totally unacceptable.”

Rabobank’s Senior FX Strategist Jane Foley notes Japanese wage data have improved, with unions securing solid ‘shunto’ wage hikes and real wages rising again, supporting the Bank of Japan’s (BoJ) desired virtuous cycle.

HSBC economists argue Emerging Markets (EM) remain well positioned in 2026 as the US Dollar (USD) weakens and global policy easing supports a broadening of returns beyond US mega-cap tech.

EUR/USD consolidates with minor losses after a volatile start to the week as traders assess evolving geopolitical developments in the Middle East, while price action remains driven by the US Dollar (USD) and Oil price dynamics.

MUFG economists highlight that the Swiss Franc (CHF) has underperformed as the Swiss National Bank (SNB) leans against currency strength and downplays current inflation.

Ethereum (ETH) treasury firm BitMine Immersion Technologies (BMNR) purchased 26,659 ETH last week, taking its holdings of the top altcoin to 5.2 million ETH. However, that figure represents its lowest weekly acquisition since becoming an ETH treasury last June.

Societe Generale economist Kunal Kundu expects India’s April headline Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation to rise to 3.9% year-on-year from 3.4% in March, driven by food-and-beverages and fuel components.

The US President Donald Trump is meeting with his national security team, considering the possibility of resuming military action against Iran, as Tehran’s response fell short of complying with Washington’s demands, three officials said to Axios.

United States 3-Year Note Auction rose from previous 3.897% to 3.965%

The cryptocurrency market commenced the week’s trading lackluster, with Bitcoin (BTC) struggling to hold above $80,000 support as optimism for a United States (US)-Iran final peace agreement faded amid emerging challenges in the negotiations.

US equity index futures opened the week little changed as Wall Street weighed a renewed flare-up in the US-Iran standoff against this week's marquee inflation print.

Donald Trump, United States (US) President, said that Iran’s proposal was “stupid” and that they agreed on his terms but then reversed on them. Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Monday.