South Korea Trade Balance dipped from previous $23.77B to $23.76B in April

USD/CAD extends its winning streak for the eighth straight day, trading around 1.3740 during the Asian hours on Friday. The Canadian Dollar (CAD) continues to struggle due to its heavy reliance on the energy sector.

The AUD/USD pair attracts some sellers to near 0.7205 during the early Asian trading hours on Friday. Markets remain cautious ahead of the second day meeting between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Friday.

On Friday, the People’s Bank of China (PBOC) sets the USD/CNY central rate for the trading session ahead at 6.8415 compared to the previous day's fix of 6.8401 and 6.7976 Reuters estimate.

The USD/JPY pair touches a two-week high during the Asian session on Friday and looks to extend the weekly uptrend amid a broadly firmer US Dollar (USD).

The EUR/USD pair trades in negative territory near 1.1660 during the early Asian session on Friday.

GBP/USD fell 0.9% on Thursday, breaking below 1.3500 in a sharp staircase decline from session highs to a low close to 1.3395. The move extended a multi-week downtrend from the early-March peak, with bearish momentum building through the European afternoon. The daily candle closed near session lows.

NZD/USD slipped 0.4% on Thursday, drifting lower through the session to close at fresh daily lows. The pair has been confined to a broad range in recent weeks, unable to retest the early-March peak near 0.6120.

AUD/USD eased 0.5% on Thursday, pulling back from four-year highs as the session drifted steadily lower through the afternoon. The pair had been pressing against the 0.7280 area, the strongest territory since June 2022, and bullish momentum waned after the recent run higher.

The USD/JPY pair advances toward the 158.30 region on Friday, reaching its highest level in nearly two weeks as the United States (US) Dollar (USD) strengthens following resilient US economic data and rising Treasury yields.

USD/CAD extends gains on Thursday, rising for a third consecutive day, supported by renewed demand for the US Dollar (USD) as traders assess ongoing geopolitical developments alongside the latest US economic data, which reinforced expectations of a more hawkish Federal Reserve (Fed) stance.

USD/CHF advances toward 0.7830 on Thursday, gaining 0.15% on the day at the time of writing, supported by renewed demand for the US Dollar (USD) following a series of solid economic releases in the United States (US).

The AUD/USD pair weakens toward the 0.7220 region on Thursday as the United States (US) Dollar (USD) strengthens after April Retail Sales held up in the United States (US).

GBP/USD trades under pressure on Thursday, weighed down by a stronger US Dollar (USD) and rising political uncertainty in the United Kingdom. At the time of writing, the pair is trading around 1.3482, down nearly 0.30% and remaining on the back foot for a third consecutive day.

MUFG’s Lee Hardman explains that the Pound (GBP) is softer despite stronger-than-expected United Kingdom (UK) Gross Domestic Product (GDP), as markets anticipate slower growth later in the year due to the energy price shock.

Societe Generale strategists note that USD/BRL has extended its broader downtrend after breaking a recent consolidation, with an interim low near 4.88 and a sharp rebound.

NZD/USD falls to around 0.5920 on Thursday at the time of writing, down 0.28% on the day, as the New Zealand Dollar (NZD) remains under pressure against a stronger US Dollar (USd).

BNY’s Geoff Yu highlights that the Japanese Yen (JPY) remains significantly undervalued on a Real Effective Exchange Rate (REER) basis even as Euro (EUR) and US Dollar (USD) valuations have converged.

EUR/GBP trades choppy on Thursday, with the British Pound (GBP) modestly outperforming the Euro (EUR) on the back of resilient UK economic data, while traders also assess growing political noise in the United Kingdom.

USD/JPY trades around 157.95 on Thursday at the time of writing, up modestly by 0.05% on the day, as the pair remains close to its highest level in two weeks.

BNY’s Bob Savage notes that India is considering cutting taxes on foreign investors’ bond income to attract inflows and support the Indian Rupee (INR), which has fallen over 6% against the US Dollar (USD) in 2026.

MUFG’s Lee Hardman notes that rising long-term JGB yields, driven by inflation risks linked to the Middle East conflict and hawkish BoJ commentary, are reinforcing expectations for a near-term policy rate increase.

The US Dollar (USD) is trading flat, right above 0.7800 against the Swiss Franc on Thursday as investors bid their time awaiting the outcome of US President Trump’s visit to China.

The Australian Dollar (AUD) trades lower against its major currency peers, is down 0.25% to near 0.7240 against the US Dollar (USD) during the European trading session on Thursday.

UOB economists Quek Ser Leang and Lee Sue Ann highlight that AUD/USD extended beyond the expected range to 0.7272, but near-term momentum still looks modest. Intraday, further gains are possible yet seen unlikely to reach 0.7280, with support at 0.7245 and 0.7230.

USD/CAD trades around 1.3705 on Thursday at the time of redaction, virtually unchanged on the day, as markets price in mixed effects following news from the US-China summit.

Brown Brothers Harriman’s (BBH) Elias Haddad notes USD/JPY is trading in a 155.00-160.00 range and expects this to persist until the energy shock fades, despite a constructive stance on Japanese Yen (JPY).

The British Pound (GBP) keeps trading within previous ranges against the Japanese Yen (JPY) on Thursday.

The Japanese Yen (JPY) reflects weakness against the US Dollar (USD) during the European trading session on Thursday, with the USD/JPY pair holding onto the two-week high near 158.00. The pair remains firm due to the continued outperformance of the US Dollar.

The Euro (EUR) is hovering right above 1.1700  against the Dollar (USD) on Thursday, about 0.65% lower so far this week.