Societe Generale analysts note a quiet data calendar ahead of key US payrolls, with a market whisper of 40k versus a 60k consensus and an SG economics forecast of 75k.

Italy Retail Sales n.s.a (YoY) dipped from previous 2.3% to 1.6% in February

Italy Retail Sales s.a. (MoM) came in at 0% below forecasts (0.4%) in February

France 10-y Bond Auction rose from previous 3.39% to 3.73%

Turkey Exports climbed from previous $21.1B to $21.9B in March

European Central Bank (ECB) executive board member Fabio Panetta said during European trading hours on Thursday that global energy crisis could impact financial stability.

West Texas Intermediate (WTI) oil price rises over 7% after two days of losses, trading around $101.10 per barrel during the European hours on Thursday.

European Central Bank (ECB) Governing Council (GC) member and Governor of the Lithuanian central bank, Gediminas Simkus, said during European trading hours on Thursday that the central bank needs to exercise caution on interest rates as the situation is changing.

According to a poll from Reuters, all 32 economists are in favor that the Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) will leave its Official Cash Rate (OCR) unchanged at 2.25% in the monetary policy meeting on April 8.

France Budget Balance fell from previous €-9.72B to €-32.12B in February

France Budget Balance: €-32.1B (February) vs previous €-9.72B

Rabobank’s Senior Market Strategist Benjamin Picton notes that Australia entered the conflict period with solid momentum, as the February trade surplus beat expectations and Q1 job vacancies rose.

Switzerland Consumer Price Index (MoM) below expectations (0.5%) in March: Actual (0.2%)

Switzerland Consumer Price Index (YoY) registered at 0.3%, below expectations (0.5%) in March

India HSBC Manufacturing PMI registered at 53.9, below expectations (55.4) in March

Netherlands, The Retail Sales (YoY) down to 1.3% in February from previous 2.2%

US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that Iran's ability to launch missiles and drones has been curtailed. Trump added that the US does't need oil from the Middle East.

Australia Imports (MoM) fell from previous 0.8% to -3.2% in February

Australia Exports (MoM) rose from previous -0.9% to 4.9% in January

Australia Trade Balance (MoM) came in at 5686M, above forecasts (2500M) in February

Japan Monetary Base (YoY) declined to -11.6% in March from previous -10.6%

Japan Foreign Investment in Japan Stocks: ¥-4B (March 27) vs ¥-2509.7B

US President Donald Trump will address the nation at 01:00 GMT on Thursday to give an “update” on the war with Iran, CNN reported. The speech will be the first major national address the president has delivered on the conflict since the first joint US-Israeli strikes on Iran in late February.

ING economist Min Joo Kang highlights that South Korea’s 1Q26 GDP is set to rebound on strong chip-led exports and recovering investment, but trims the 2026 GDP forecast to 2.0% from 2.2%.

South Korea Consumer Price Index Growth (YoY) came in at 2.2% below forecasts (2.4%) in March

South Korea Consumer Price Index Growth (MoM) below forecasts (0.6%) in March: Actual (0.3%)

Standard Chartered’s Edward Lee and Jonathan Koh expect the Monetary Authority of Singapore to steepen the SGD NEER slope by 50bps in April, partially reversing pre-emptive easing from H1-2025 while keeping the band unchanged.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics will publish its data for February on Thursday at 00.30 GMT. Australia’s Trade Surplus is expected to narrow to 2,500M MoM in February, compared to 2,631M in January.

DBS Group Research economist Chua Han Teng highlights that Malaysian financial markets, including the Ringgit (MYR) and benchmark equities, have held up year-to-date thanks to resilient macroeconomic conditions and capital inflows.

TD Securities’ Alex Loo and Jayati Bharadwaj argue that Asia faces a dual shock from higher Oil prices and rapidly depleting inventories, hitting growth and lifting inflation. They see Asian central banks prioritizing growth, limiting rate hikes.