HSBC portrays Vietnam as one of Asia’s fastest-growing economies, supported by booming electronics exports and import-intensive manufacturing.
OCBC’s FX strategists Sim Moh Siong and Christopher Wong highlight that USD/SGD has eased as US Dollar (USD) momentum softened on core Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) Price Index data, with the pair around 1.2960.
HSBC notes that Thailand’s 1Q26 growth beat expectations on the back of strong electronics exports and robust private investment and consumption, supported by AI-related activity and fiscal stimulus.
DBS Group Research’s Ma Tieying expects South Korea’s June exports to remain very strong, with year-on-year growth around 50–60% and the trade surplus widening above USD30bn. AI-related semiconductor demand and higher memory prices are seen offsetting energy imports.
Silver (XAG/USD) price registers gains of nearly 2% on Friday but is poised to finish the week with losses of nearly 10%, as the white metal falls below the $60.00 threshold for the first time since the rally that began at the beginning of December 2025.
OCBC’s FX strategists Sim Moh Siong and Christopher Wong note USD/CNH’s recent run-up has stalled, with the pair around 6.8020 and daily bullish momentum intact but RSI turning lower from overbought.
Gold (XAU/USD) price recovers some ground on Friday, hitting a two-day high of $4,096 as the Greenback edges lower alongside Treasury yields after investors trimmed hawkish bets on the Federal Reserve (Fed). The XAU/USD pair trades at $4,076, up 1.24%.
The upcoming week will bring a fresh test for major currency pairs as investors look ahead to key United States (US) labor market data, ISM Manufacturing figures, Eurozone inflation releases, and central bank commentary from the Federal Reserve (Fed), European Central Bank (ECB), Bank of England (Bo
United Overseas Bank’s Quek Ser Leang and Lee Sue Ann note USD/SGD has stalled after a six-day advance, with the pair easing to 1.2950 before closing near 1.2970.
USD/JPY ended the week pressing the 162.00 handle, a whisker beneath its multi-decade high, and the more revealing detail is what it took to drag the Yen up there: a Bank of Japan (BoJ) rate hike that was billed as the turning point.
Geoff Yu at BNY notes that Taiwan’s strong equity performance in 2026 has coincided with net institutional outflows, mainly from U.S. pensions and hedge funds, while APAC and EMEA investors provide support.
DBS Group Research forecasts Vietnam’s real GDP to grow 7.8% year-on-year in Q2 2026, matching Q1’s pace, supported by strong electronics manufacturing, AI-driven tech demand, FDI and resilient retail spending.
The Canadian Dollar (CAD) trims part of its intraday gains on Friday as uncertainty surrounding a final US-Iran peace agreement and expectations of a hawkish Federal Reserve (Fed) help the US Dollar (USD) recover some of its losses after coming under pressure from Thursday's broadly in-line US Perso
HSBC strategists warn that the Philippines is flirting with stagflation, as slowing Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth coincides with the highest inflation in ASEAN. Weak public spending and cautious households are dragging demand, while the labour market softens.
Commerzbank’s Thailand section notes May exports rose 10.6% year-on-year, below consensus and sharply slower than April’s 23.1%, with agriculture shipments weak but electronics still resilient. The government forecasts exports to grow 8% in 2026 as front-loading fades.
Lloyd Chan at MUFG notes the Malaysian Ringgit outperformed, rising 0.4% versus the US Dollar (USD) after Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) reintroduced a 2024-style FX support measure to encourage repatriation and conversion of offshore earnings.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) is closing the week as the last major US index standing, having rallied more than 1% to settle just below 52,000, with the record high near 52,300 still in view. That reads as strength until you ask where the buying is coming from.
Federal Reserve (Fed) Bank of Minneapolis President Neel Kashkari said during a panel discussion at the Aspen Ideas Festival 2026 in Aspen, Colorado, that he remains concerned about inflation in the service sector, while also noting some signs of improvement in the labor market.
West Texas Intermediate (WTI) US Oil falls 3.25% on Friday and trades around $69.05 at the time of writing, after hitting its lowest level since late February at $68.48 earlier in the day.
US President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social on Friday that Iran violated the ceasefire after launching drones at ships in the Strait of Hormuz, with one of them hitting the upper deck of a large cargo-carrying ship.
EUR/USD trades on the front foot on Friday but remains on track for a second straight weekly loss as the fragile situation in the Middle East and hawkish Federal Reserve (Fed) outlook keep the US Dollar's (USD) downside limited.
The Pound Sterling (GBP) gains 0.20% against the Greenback on Friday as the latter recoils after hitting year-to-date (YTD) highs, with money markets pricing in a less hawkish Federal Reserve (Fed), despite policymakers stating they will focus on inflation.
AUD/USD is recovering near 0.6900 on Friday as the US Dollar (USD) weakens with investors taking profits ahead of the end of the semester after a two-week rally in the Greenback. The move helped the Australian Dollar (AUD) recover some intraday ground, although the full picture remains negative.
Standard Chartered economists Hunter Chan and Shuang Ding note that China’s fiscal spending has underperformed so far in 2026, weighing on growth despite stronger-than-expected Q1 data.
UOB’s Lee Sue Ann highlights that Australia’s unemployment rate dipped to 4.4% in May with a 40.3k employment gain, mainly in part-time jobs, and participation rising to 66.7%.
Societe Generale economists Reo Sakida and Jin Kenzaki analyze June Tokyo Consumer Price Index (CPI), noting that overall inflation dynamics in Japan changed little from May despite a modest upside surprise in headline and core readings.
GBP/JPY trades in a narrow range on Friday as traders weigh the latest UK political developments against lingering intervention risks from Japanese authorities, with USD/JPY holding above the 161.00 level.
BNY’s Geoff Yu highlights that South Korean equities have delivered exceptional returns in 2026 while institutional investors remain net sellers, particularly from the Americas.
USD/JPY edges lower on Friday and trades around 161.60 at the time of writing after once again failing to sustain a move above the 162.00 mark. The pair is facing profit-taking as investors remain cautious over the risk of intervention by Japanese authorities to support the domestic currency.
Commerzbank strategists note that despite lower Oil and gas prices, European Central Bank (ECB) officials still signal at least one more rate increase, which the bank forecasts for September.
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