The AUD/JPY cross attracts some sellers following the release of the latest Australian employment details and slides closer to its lowest level since late April, touched the previous day.

USD/CAD halts its winning streak that began on June 10, trading around 1.4230 during the Asian hours on Thursday. The currency pair depreciate as the US Dollar (USD) declines despite rising market expectations of Federal Reserve (Fed) interest rate hikes later this year.

Australia Part-Time Employment increased to 35.2K in May from previous -7.9K

The Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) said on Thursday that “safe transit through the Strait of Hormuz is possible only via routes designated by Iran.”

Australia’s Unemployment Rate fell to 4.4% in May from 4.5% in April, according to the official data released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) on Thursday. The figure came in line with the market consensus.

Australia Full-Time Employment rose from previous -10.7K to 5.2K in May

Australia Participation Rate came in at 66.7%, below expectations (66.8%) in May

Australia Unemployment Rate s.a. in line with forecasts (4.4%) in May

Australia Employment Change s.a. registered at 40.3K above expectations (25K) in May

Bank of Japan (BoJ) board member Naoki Tamura said on Thursday that Japan's neutral rate is about 2% and it is important to push the policy rate closer to the neutral level to avoid being forced into sharp rate hikes later.

The People’s Bank of China (PBOC) sets the USD/CNY central rate for the trading session ahead on Thursday at 6.8209 compared to the previous day's fix of 6.8195 and 6.8048 Reuters estimate.

The NZD/USD pair attracts sellers for the seventh straight day and drifts back closer to its lowest level since November 25, set the previous day. Spot prices currently trade around the 0.5640-0.5635 region and seem vulnerable amid a bullish US Dollar (USD).

West Texas Intermediate (WTI) oil price gains ground to trade around $69.90 per barrel during Asian hours on Thursday, snapping a three-day losing streak.

The crypto market has erased more than half of its value since reaching an all-time high in late 2025. The decline underscores the severity of the recent bear market and lack of a fresh catalyst to revive investor interest, according to a Wednesday X post by The Kobeissi Letter.

The USD/JPY pair trades on a flat note near a multi-decade highof around 161.75 during the early Asian trading hours on Thursday. The potential upside for the pair might be limited amid heavy speculation of imminent currency intervention from Japanese authorities. 

The EUR/USD pair declines to around 1.1355 during the early Asian trading hours on Thursday. The Euro (EUR) weakens to its lowest level since June 2025 against the US Dollar (USD) as traders increase their bets on US interest rate hikes later this year.

Japan Foreign Investment in Japan Stocks up to ¥479.4B in June 19 from previous ¥-785.1B

Gold price (XAU/USD) tumbles to around $3,995 during the early Asian session on Thursday. The precious metal extends the decline to below the $4,000 psychological level for the first time since November 2025 on the prospect of higher interest rates and a stronger US Dollar (USD).

Ethereum (ETH) has fallen toward the $1,600 level, down over 3% on Wednesday as risk-off signs persist across key onchain metrics.

The Euro retreated on Wednesday against the Japanese Yen, down 0.08% amid growing speculation that Japanese authorities may intervene in the foreign exchange markets and also inflation in the producer side in Japan, exceeded estimates above the 3% threshold.

GBP/USD spent Wednesday confirming what the daily chart has signalled for a week, that the Pound's attempted recovery has run out of road. Cable drifted lower through the session to a low just under 1.3150 before clawing back a little into the close, settling just above fresh lows for the move.

The common shares of Strategy (MSTR) fell below $100 on Wednesday for the first time since March 2024, extending losses as Bitcoin's (BTC) prolonged decline continues to weigh on investor perceptions of the company's leveraged crypto strategy.

USD/JPY spent Wednesday grinding higher again, which by rights should not be happening. The Bank of Japan (BoJ) raised its policy rate only last week, and a hike is meant to put a floor under a currency, not watch it slide toward generational lows.

The USD/CHF extends its rally for the third straight day this week and refreshes year-to-date (YTD) highs, peaking at 0.8139, which is also an 11-month high. At the time of writing, the pair trades at 0.8124, up 0.34%.

OCBC’s Sim Moh Siong and Christopher Wong note USD/SGD has drifted higher on broad US Dollar (USD) strength and softer risk sentiment, with daily momentum bullish and Relative Strength Index (RSI) overbought.

South Korea BOK Manufacturing BSI: 79 (July) vs previous 80

BNY’s Geoff Yu notes that despite a bear market in the Hong Kong China Enterprises Index and 15–16% declines in Chinese equities this year, institutional investors continue to add exposure.