Japan Large Retailer Sales remains unchanged at 2% in April

Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) Assistant Governor Karen Silk said that the central bank is yet to see medium-term inflation pressures emerge, but it’s prepared to respond aggressively if they appear, Bloomberg reported on Friday.

Japan Retail Trade s.a (MoM) remains unchanged at 1.3% in April

Japan Industrial Production (YoY) declined to 2.3% in April from previous 2.4%

Japan Industrial Production (MoM) above expectations (-0.9%) in April: Actual (0.8%)

Japan Retail Trade (YoY) above expectations (1.3%) in April: Actual (2.1%)

Japan Tokyo CPI ex Food, Energy (YoY) fell from previous 1.9% to 1.6% in May

Japan Unemployment Rate registered at 2.5%, below expectations (2.7%) in April

Japan Tokyo CPI ex Fresh Food (YoY) came in at 1.3%, below expectations (1.5%) in May

Japan Tokyo Consumer Price Index (YoY): 1.4% (May) vs previous 1.5%

Japan Jobs / Applicants Ratio in line with forecasts (1.18) in April

Gold price (XAU/USD) edges higher to near $4,500 during the early Asian session on Friday. The precious metal rebounds from a two-month low ‌hit in the previous session after reports that the United States (US) and Iran had reached a ceasefire extension agreement. 

South Korea Service Sector Output fell from previous 1.4% to -1% in April

New Zealand ANZ – Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence climbed from previous 80.3 to 86.5 in May

Newswires reported that the US and Iran exchanged strikes amid rising tensions in the Strait of Hormuz.

Geoff Yu at BNY notes that Chinese bonds’ resilience to rising global inflation expectations, combined with moderately strong CNY purchases this month, sets up the Chinese Yuan for rebalancing-related selling.

MUFG’s Lloyd Chan notes that the Indonesian Rupiah has underperformed recently as macro fundamentals such as a widening current account deficit, rising fiscal risks and policy concerns weigh on sentiment.

Commerzbank’s FX analysts flag that USD/THB slipped to 32.55 on portfolio inflows, even as Thailand’s April trade deficit widened to a record USD10.0bn.

UOB Global Economics & Markets Research highlights that USD/SGD was little changed around 1.2770 in quiet holiday trading, with the Singapore Dollar (SGD) Nominal Effective Exchange Rate (S$NEER) trading at the 2% upper bound of its estimated band.

ABN AMRO notes that China benefits from solid foreign trade linked to the global tech and AI boom, but is still affected by the Iran conflict. April data show broad weakening, with sharply higher producer prices but low core CPI reflecting weak domestic demand.

The St. Louis Fed President Alberto Musalem said that an easing bias in the Federal Reserve’s monetary policy statement is “no longer consistent,” he said in an interview with Bloomberg TV.

United States 7-Year Note Auction: 4.29% vs 4.175%

TradingKey - Em 28 de maio, foi divulgado o conjunto final de dados econômicos dos EUA para abril, confirmando ainda mais que a inflação está se espalhando por uma gama mais ampla de setores. Ao mesmo

United States 4-Week Bill Auction up to 3.63% from previous 3.61%

The St. Louis Fed President, Alberto Musalem, crossed the wires on Thursday, and said that rate hikes may be needed if inflation doesn’t ease, at a Central Bank of Iceland and Northwestern University economic conference in Reykjavik.

UOB economists Enrico Tanuwidjaja and Sathit Talaengsatya assess Thailand’s fiscal stimulus as cushioning 2H2026 growth but not warranting a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) upgrade.

United States EIA Natural Gas Storage Change declined to 92B in May 22 from previous 101B

ABN AMRO highlights a more dovish tone from the MPC after its earlier hawkish stance in March. The bank still expects an insurance rate hike over summer, albeit with less conviction, before a return to a wait-and-see approach as energy supplies normalise in Q3.

Axios journalist Barak Ravid reported on Thursday that the US and Iran have reached an agreement on a 60-day memorandum of understanding to extend the ceasefire and launch negotiations on Iran's nuclear program, but President Trump has yet to give it his final approval, according to two US official

Alberto Musalem (St. Louis, 2028 voter) struck a cautious and hawkish tone on Thursday, warning that inflation pressures remain elevated despite growing optimism around artificial intelligence and productivity gains.