Antje Praefcke at Commerzbank warns that Eurozone PMIs (Purchasing Managers' Index) may slip to or below 50 in April as the Middle East war weighs on orders and production.
United Overseas Bank (UOB) Strategists Quek Ser Leang and Lee Sue Ann describe GBP/USD momentum indicators as mostly flat, expecting intraday consolidation between 1.3475 and 1.3530.
Danske Research Team highlights that Euro area April flash PMIs (Purchasing Managers' Index) are a key input ahead of the next European Central Bank (ECB) meeting, with Manufacturing PMI expected to drop below 50 while Services PMI holds at 50.2.
The preliminary German and Eurozone flash HCOB Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) data for April is due for release today at 07:30 and 08:00 GMT, respectively.
Asian equities mostly declined as stalled US–Iran talks dampened risk appetite. The Wall Street Journal reported Iran fired on three ships in the Strait of Hormuz, escorting two into Iranian waters on Wednesday.
Lebanon will push for a one-month extension of the current ceasefire with Israel during a second round of direct talks in Washington on Thursday, the Guardian reported on Thursday.
The preliminary reading of Australia's S&P Global Manufacturing Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) jumped to 51.0 in April versus 49.8 prior, the latest data published by S&P Global showed on Thursday.
OCBC’s Christopher Wong observes that USD/KRW’s earlier decline has stalled, with bearish momentum fading and RSI recovering from oversold territory.
Societe Generale analysts Kunal Kundu and Galvin Chia note that Bank Indonesia (BI) kept its policy rate at 4.75% and retained its 2.5% ±1% inflation target, emphasizing a stability-first approach.
OCBC’s Christopher Wong notes that USD/SGD has rebounded on stalled US–Iran ceasefire talks, with fading bearish momentum and rising RSI.
ING’s Deepali Bhargava notes that Bank Indonesia (BI) kept its policy rate at 4.75%, focusing on Indonesian Rupiah (IDR) stability rather than tightening.
Standard Chartered economists Hunter Chan and Shuang Ding argue that China has weathered the recent Middle East Oil shock relatively well due to its diversified energy mix and long-standing focus on non-fossil energy.
Societe Generale’s Anatoli Annenkov expects the European Central Bank (ECB) to keep rates unchanged next week as focus shifts toward Euro Area growth and medium-term core inflation.