The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell around 230 points, or roughly 0.5%, on Thursday, giving back the previous session's gains as surging Oil prices and collapsing ceasefire optimism crushed risk appetite. The S&P 500 dropped 0.8%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite shed 1.1%.
The USD/JPY trades higher near the 159.70 level on Thursday, March 26, maintaining an overall bullish bias as the US Dollar (USD) remains supported while the Japanese Yen (JPY) stays under pressure.
ING’s Francesco Pesole notes that Norges Bank delivered a hawkish shift, signalling upcoming rate hikes as inflation concerns extend beyond the energy shock. The bank now fully prices at least one hike in its projections, while ING expects only one move given its bearish Oil and gas baseline.
The Canadian Dollar (CAD) stays on the back foot against the US Dollar (USD) on Thursday, as rising Middle East tensions and ongoing uncertainty around US-Iran negotiations keep the Greenback firmly supported across the board.
The GBP/USD consolidates around 1.3360 on Thursday amid heightened tensions in the Middle East, as US President Donald Trump exerts pressure on Iran to reach a deal. Solid US jobs data maintained the status quo, which remains controlled by geopolitics.
Tether’s tokenized Gold token, XAUT, has been listed on BNB Chain as part of a broader mission to bridge the gap between the traditional commodity market and the cryptocurrency industry.
TD Securities expects UK Retail Sales for February to decline, projecting -0.6% month-on-month versus the market’s -0.7% and January’s 1.8%. They bank attributes the pullback to fading idiosyncratic supports and adverse weather weighing on physical store traffic.
Scotiabank strategists Shaun Osborne and Eric Theoret highlight that USD/CAD continues to grind higher as haven demand for the US Dollar dominates, with the pair trading well above an estimated fair value of 1.3543.
AUD/USD trades around 0.6920 on Thursday at the time of writing, down 0.35% on the day, and remains close to its monthly lows amid a bearish consolidation phase. The pair struggles to stage any meaningful rebound as the US Dollar (USD) continues to draw solid support.
ING strategists Michiel Tukker and Benjamin Schroeder note that markets continue to price two to three European Central Bank (ECB) rate hikes in 2026, with April odds still elevated. They stress that the ECB must balance data dependence with managing expectations along the curve.
BNY’s Head of Markets Macro Strategy Bob Savage notes that the central bank of Germany, Bundesbank President Joachim Nagel has opened the door to an April European Central Bank (ECB) rate hike if Middle East‑driven energy prices elevate inflation risks.
The US Dollar Index (DXY), which measures the Greenback’s value against a basket of six major currencies, holds firm on Thursday as the US Dollar remains well supported amid ongoing geopolitical tensions surrounding the US-Israel war with Iran.
TD Securities’ Senior Commodity Strategist Daniel Ghali warns that Commodity Trading Advisors (CTAs) are likely to sell Gold unless prices stage a strong rebound in the coming week.
HSBC Global Research expects New Zealand Dollar (NZD) to stay under pressure versus USD in coming weeks, even as markets price further Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) tightening over 12 months.
ING’s Ewa Manthey and Warren Patterson note that NYMEX WTI and ICE Brent are up around 2% after sharp volatility around $100/bbl as markets react to conflicting US‑Iran ceasefire signals.
Nordea's Chief economist Kjetil Olsen and Senior Macro and FX Strategist Sara Midtgaard note that the central bank of Norway, Norges Bank now signals a policy rate hike to 4.25% at an upcoming meeting, with the new path pointing to 4.25–4.50% by year-end.
Ripple (XRP) losses are deepening below the $1.40 pivotal level and is trading at $1.37 at the time of writing on Thursday.
Brown Brothers Harriman’s (BBH) Elias Haddad notes USD/JPY is trading just below 160.00 as the Bank of Japan (BoJ) releases new underlying CPI indicators, which remain below the 2% target but are converging toward it.
Gold (XAU/USD) edges lower on Thursday, snapping a two-day winning streak as uncertainty surrounding US-Iran negotiations to end the conflict keeps markets on edge, with price action largely driven by hawkish global interest rate expectations stemming from an Oil-driven inflation shock.
The Pound (GBP) is trading lower against the Japanese Yen (JPY) on Thursday, snapping a four-day positive streak.
According to a report from the US Department of Labour (DOL) released on Thursday, the number of US citizens submitting new applications for unemployment insurance increased to 210K for the week ending March 21.