The AUD/USD pair attracts some buyers to near 0.6950 during the Asian trading hours on Friday. The Australian Dollar (AUD) strengthens against the US Dollar (USD) on hawkish rhetoric from the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA).

Japan’s Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama said on Friday that the government will closely tracking economic indicator and market conditions.

Japan's Economy Minister Minoru Kiuchi said on Friday that the government consistently signals policy commitment to fiscal sustainability. Kiuchi added that there’s no shift in government stance, and monetary policy tools remain the Bank of Japan’s (BOJ) decision. 

Japan Producer Price Index (YoY) came in at 7.1%, above expectations (6.8%) in June

Japan Producer Price Index (MoM) registered at 0.4% above expectations (0.3%) in June

A US official signaled that it is still committed to the memorandum of understanding with Iran, even though US President Donald Trump’s declared earlier this week that the framework deal to end the Iran war was “over” after Tehran carried out strikes against vessels in the Strait of Hormuz and again

OCBC’s Christopher Wong observes that Renminbi (RMB) appreciation guidance is waning, with CNH-CNY fixing gaps narrowing and daily adjustments moderating. Policymakers appear to be shifting toward RMB stability rather than further appreciation.

The US Federal Reserve revealed in a statement that the members of the task forces mentioned by the new Fed Chair, Kevin Warsh, at the first monetary policy meeting, who also reiterated the “Fed’s commitment to price stability, and maximum employment mandate in 'unwavering' and will be pursued “with

United Overseas Bank’s (UOB) Quek Ser Leang notes that USD/SGD’s mild downward pressure has eased, with the pair expected to stay range-bound. Intraday, the Dollar is seen trading between 1.2920 and 1.2960, while over the next 1–3 weeks UOB projects a broader 1.2890–1.2990 band.

Scotiabank strategists Shaun Osborne and Eric Theoret report the British Pound (GBP) is fractionally higher versus the US Dollar (USD), with sentiment improving after PM Starmer’s resignation announcement.

United States 30-Year Bond Auction climbed from previous 5.02% to 5.058%

Societe Generale strategists note the Korean Won (KRW) has become Asia’s best performer in early H2, rallying nearly 2.8% as USD/KRW drops from around 1,550 to near 1,500.

ING's Chief Economist Lynn Song notes that the CNY has been one of the strongest performers in 2026, even against a firm Dollar backdrop.

United States 4-Week Bill Auction up to 3.63% from previous 3.605%

Commerzbank’s Charlie Lay argues that elevated South Korean inflation strengthens the case for a 25bp Bank of Korea (BoK) hike to 2.75% on 16 July.

Nordea’s Jan von Gerich argues that the European Central Bank (ECB) is likely to continue tightening policy, with the outlook heavily dependent on Middle East developments and energy prices.

United States EIA Natural Gas Storage Change registered at 61B above expectations (60B) in July 3

DBS Group Research economist Eugene Leow warns that shorter-term Singapore Dollar (SGD) rates may face upside pressure despite recent flush liquidity. He notes SGD rates have decoupled from USD rates, with spreads stretched, while Fed hike expectations remain sticky and the USD strong.

UOB’s Quek Ser Leang notes that after a prior rise in USD/CNH, upward momentum has now faded, with the pair expected to trade between 6.7950 and 6.8100 in the near term.

United States Existing Home Sales (MoM) registered at 4.09M, below expectations (4.2M) in June

United States Existing Home Sales Change (MoM) dipped from previous 3.2% to -2.4% in June

Federal Reserve (Fed) Bank of New York President John Williams said in the Future of Market Liquidity and Functioning Workshop in New York on Thursday that inflation remains “far too high,” while stressing that policymakers are actively debating different inflation scenarios as energy prices, artifi

BNY’s Geoff Yu notes the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has trimmed its 2026 global growth forecast to 3.0%, with uneven impacts across energy exporters, tech economies and low-income importers, influencing global equities.

ABN AMRO’s Rogier Quaedvlieg highlights that US labour-market conditions are weaker than headline unemployment suggests, as rapidly declining participation is holding the rate down.

DBS Group Research economist Sherilyn Chew notes that renewed geopolitical risk has lifted yields across Asia, but sees Indian G-Secs as offering a tactical opportunity. She argues the India sell-off is mainly macro repricing, with domestic fundamentals and structural demand intact.

ING strategists Michiel Tukker and Benjamin Schroeder note that the Federal Reserve’s June minutes confirmed a more hawkish stance despite an unchanged policy rate.

TD Securities strategists highlight that the June Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) Minutes showed rising concern over inflation risks, even as the United States (US) labor market remains stable.

Russia Central Bank Reserves $ up to $721.7B from previous $715.2B

Geoff Yu at BNY Mellon highlights that Czech National Bank policy expectations have risen alongside the ECB, yet the Czech Koruna is sliding on a nominal effective basis.

The European Central Bank (ECB) released the accounts of its latest monetary policy meeting on Thursday, revealing growing concern among policymakers over persistent inflationary risks.