New Zealand's (NZ) inflation expectations rose on a 12-month time frame and on a two-year time frame for the first quarter of 2026, the Reserve Bank of New Zealand’s (RBNZ) latest monetary conditions survey showed on Friday.

Altcoins, including River (RIVER), Humanity Protocol (H) and Polygon (POL), rank as top-performing cryptocurrencies in the last 24 hours, defying the broader market pullback as Bitcoin (BTC) dropped below $67,000.

The IEA projects a 3.7 million bpd surplus in 2026 and cut its global Oil demand forecast.

The NZD/USD pair finds some support near the 0.6025 region during the Asian session on Friday and, for now, seems to have stalled the previous day's retracement slide from a two-week high.

The USD/CAD pair posts modest gains around 1.3615 during the Asian trading hours on Friday. The US Dollar (USD) edges higher against the Canadian Dollar (CAD) amid expectations that the Federal Reserve (Fed) will not cut interest rates in the near term.

New Zealand RBNZ Inflation Expectations (QoQ) increased to 2.37% in 1Q from previous 2.28%

West Texas Intermediate (WTI) Oil price trades largely unchanged around $62.80 per barrel during the Asian session on Friday, after dropping more than 3% in the previous session. Crude Oil prices remain under pressure amid ongoing concerns about oversupply.

The GBP/USD pair remains on the defensive through the Asian session on Friday, though it lacks bearish conviction and holds above the 1.3600 mark as traders await the release of the US consumer inflation figures before placing directional bets.

Japanese Trade Minister Ryosei Akazawa said on Friday that he discussed projects under Japan's US bound investment package with US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.

Federal Reserve (Fed) Board of Governors member Stephan Miran said on Friday that monetary policy has passively tightened, adding that central bank can afford to have lower interest rates.

Silver price (XAG/USD) recovers some lost ground to near $76.60 during the Asian trading hours on Friday. The white metal suddenly fell late Thursday, pushing silver down more than 11%.

On Friday, the People’s Bank of China (PBOC) sets the USD/CNY central rate for the trading session ahead at 6.9398 compared to the previous day's fix of 6.9457.

The Australian Dollar (AUD) advances against the US Dollar (USD) on Friday after posting losses of more than 0.5% in the previous session. Still, AUD/USD may find support from cautious sentiment surrounding the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) policy outlook.

The USD/JPY pair gains some positive traction during the Asian session on Friday and moves away from an over two-week low, around the 152.30-152.25 region, touched the previous day. Spot prices, however, lack bullish conviction and currently trade and remain below the 153.00 mark amid mixed cues.

The EUR/USD pair trades on a flat note near 1.1870 during the early Asian session on Friday. The major pair steadies amid mixed signals from the latest release of US economic indicators.

Japan Foreign Investment in Japan Stocks increased to ¥543.2B in February 6 from previous ¥494.6B

Gold price (XAU/USD) faces some selling pressure around $4,910 during the early Asian session on Friday. The yellow metal tumbles over 3.50% on the day, with algorithmic traders appearing to amplify the precious metal’s sudden drop.

MUFG’s Senior Currency Analyst Lloyd Chan expects USD/MYR to keep trending lower, targeting 3.7000 by end‑2026 as a more durable Ringgit appreciation cycle develops.

The Pound Sterling tumbles on Thursday, down 0.36% in the day as risk aversion boosted the safe-haven appeal of the Japanese Yen. Renewed AI disruption fears sent Wall Street plunging, while haven assets like Gold, Silver and the US Dollar failed to gain traction.

The Pound Sterling edged higher to 1.3640 on Thursday, recovering from an earlier pullback after stronger-than-expected US jobs data initially weighed on the pair.

The Japanese Yen strengthened past 153 per US Dollar on Thursday, rising for the fourth straight session after Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's decisive general election victory on February 8 gave her a clear mandate to pursue expansionary fiscal policy.

OCBC analysts Sim Moh Siong and Christopher Wong note that USD/KRW has traded lower on Dollar weakness, stronger JPY, pro-risk sentiment and sizeable foreign inflows into Korean equities, with the KOSPI outperforming regionally.

The New Zealand Dollar firmed to around 0.6057, its highest level in two weeks, as markets assessed the Reserve Bank of New Zealand's (RBNZ) policy outlook ahead of its February 18 Monetary Policy Statement.

The Australian Dollar rallied to a fresh three-and-a-half-year high above 0.7140 this week after the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) reinforced its hawkish stance.

New Zealand Business NZ PMI fell from previous 56.1 to 55.2 in January

UOB’s research argues that Thailand’s ability to capture the new wave of global FDI (Foreign Direct Investment) depends less on tax incentives and more on resolving structural bottlenecks.

South Korea Import Price Growth (YoY) down to -1.2% in January from previous 0.3%