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.
USD/JPY closed next to flat on Wednesday, settling around 158.70 after a subdued session that followed two straight days of declines from the 160.40 area. The pair remains caught in congestion near 159.00, with price chopping between the recent swing high above 160.00 and support around 158.00.
AUD/USD gained around a third of a percent on Wednesday, bouncing from the 0.6900 handle before fading back below 0.6950.
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.
Silver price (XAG/USD) fails to gain traction, consolidates around $75.00 on Wednesday as US Treasury yields pared losses, while the white metal failed to surpass key resistance at the 20-day SMA at $76.90. At the time of writing, XAG/USD trades at $75.07, virtually unchanged.
BNY’s Geoff Yu highlights Latin America as the most resilient region across assets, with regional currencies overheld and equities attracting net inflows despite broader risk-off conditions.
US Treasury yields recover across the curve on Wednesday, with the 10-year Treasury note erasing earlier losses after strong US economic data increased the odds of keeping interest rates unchanged throughout the year.
ING’s Min Joo Kang expects the Bank of Korea (BoK) to stay focused on inflation stabilisation and financial stability as resilient growth combines with rising price pressures.
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.
Gold (XAU/USD) price rallies for a fourth straight day on Wednesday, hitting a two-week high near $4,800 as the Greenback depreciates amid growing speculation of an end to the Middle East conflict. At the time of writing, the XAU/USD pair trades at $4,758, up nearly 2%.
Standard Chartered economists Hunter Chan and Shuang Ding expect China’s Q1 2026 GDP growth to have accelerated to 4.8% year-on-year, supported by robust exports and recovering investment.
MUFG’s Senior Currency Analyst Michael Wan notes that Asian currencies recovered as risk sentiment improved following comments from US President Trump on ending the Iran war, even as Oil prices stayed elevated.
