Bulls eye breakout through $100 on Trump’s Iran threat
West Texas Intermediate (WTI) Crude Oil prices caught aggressive bids on Thursday and rallied closer to the 100.00 psychological mark during the Asian session following US President Donald Trump’s Iran war update. Addressing the nation, Trump said that Iran will be hit extremely hard over the next two to three weeks and will be brought […]
Pound Sterling weakens as Trump’s comments lift USD
The GBP/USD pair meets fresh supply during the Asian session on Thursday. It retreats further from the weekly high, which was around the 1.3345 area touched the previous day. Spot prices decline to the mid-1.3200s after US President Donald Trump’s comments. These comments stall a two-day recovery move from a four-month low set on Tuesday. […]
MAS tightening path supports currency – Standard Chartered
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. They highlight higher Oil prices, increased inflation forecasts, and Singapore’s safe-haven status, and prefer to fade dips in SGD NEER around […]
BNM growth upgrade and stable OPR support MYR – Commerzbank
Commerzbank notes Bank Negara Malaysia raised its 2026 growth forecast to 4.0–5.0% on resilient domestic demand, with consumption and investment underpinned by wages, labour market strength and government support. BNM expects moderate inflation and assumes Brent at USD70–90, keeping the OPR at 2.75% for 2026. Stronger growth outlook with steady policy “In its 2025 Annual […]
Fuel duty cuts strain budget outlook – DBS
DBS Group Research’s Radhika Rao highlights India’s fiscal response to elevated global energy prices and Rupee weakness. The government has cut central excise duty on petrol and diesel to support state-owned oil marketing companies and delay pump price hikes, but this implies significant revenue loss. Persistently high energy costs and subsidies pose upside risks to […]
Price shock impact on US growth – Commerzbank
Commerzbank economists Bernd Weidensteiner and Christoph Balz assess how the recent surge in Brent and WTI prices affects the US economy. They stress that the United States is structurally less vulnerable than in the 1970s thanks to lower oil intensity and higher domestic production. Their base case assumes a short-lived war-related spike, with Oil settling […]
XAU/USD rallies further with the $5,000 level on focus
Gold (XAU/USD) appreciates for the fourth consecutive day on Thursday. The US Dollar (USD) tumbles as hopes of a quick end to the Iran war have improved risk appetite and triggered significant pullbacks in US Treasury yields. The precious metal has rallied to nearly two-week highs past $4,600, bringing the $5,000 target into the bull’s […]
Energy vulnerability threatens recent resilience – MUFG
MUFG’s Head of Research Derek Halpenny warns that the Pound’s (GBP) strong March performance looks vulnerable. He links Sterling’s gains mainly to yields, while highlighting the UK’s rising energy import dependency, shrinking refinery capacity, and risks of refined fuel shortages. With potential risk aversion and a larger terms-of-trade hit, he sees an increased risk of […]
Petrodollar shift and chip trade – Commerzbank
Commerzbank’s Volkmar Baur argues that fears over an end to the petrodollar do not automatically imply a loss of the US Dollar’s reserve status. He notes Gulf oil’s declining share in global exports, the stagnation of Oil volumes, and the rising dominance of semiconductor trade, with Taiwan’s USD‑invoiced chip exports and Treasury holdings now rivaling […]
XAG/USD holds losses near $74.00 on Middle East peace hopes
Silver price (XAG/USD) halts its three-day winning streak, trading around $74.20 per troy ounce during the Asian hours on Wednesday. The safe-haven demand for Silver weakens as optimism grows over easing tensions in the Middle East. US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that the United States (US) would be “leaving very soon” from the […]
