AUD/USD trades on the front foot on Tuesday as the US Dollar (USD) softens on growing expectations that the Middle East conflict could end soon, lifting risk-sensitive currencies such as the Australian Dollar (AUD).
ING economists Peter Virovacz and Zoltán Homolya note that Hungary’s January wage data are heavily distorted by a one-off bonus to military and law enforcement staff, leaving underlying wage growth much lower than the headline figure.
Commerzbank’s Senior Economist Dr. Vincent Stamer notes Euro area inflation rose to 2.5% in March, driven entirely by higher energy prices linked to the Iran War, while core inflation slipped to 2.3%.
The US Dollar Index (DXY) is down 0.50% on Tuesday and counting, testing below the 100.00 handle for the first time since mid-March, snapping a five-session winning streak.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) jumped around 500 points, or roughly 1.0%, on Tuesday as investors staged a recovery attempt on the final trading day of March. The S&P 500 gained 1.5% and the Nasdaq Composite advanced 2%.
The Pound Sterling (GBP) registers modest gains on Tuesday after Iran's IRGC threatened to attack US companies as of April 1, turning the market mood sour, while the US Dollar (USD) trimmed some of its earlier losses. Nevertheless, the move was short-lived as GBP/USD trades at 1.3190, up 0.04%.
NZD/USD trades around 0.5710 on Tuesday at the time of writing, down 0.15% on the day as the US Dollar (USD) stabilizes and market caution persists.
EUR/USD edges higher on Tuesday as the US Dollar (USD) weakens across the board following its recent rally, allowing the Euro (EUR) to snap a five-day losing streak.
The USD/JPY fell to near the 159.00 level, extending its slide below the 160.00 barrier on Tuesday as the Japanese Yen (JPY) finds support from intervention threats and hawkish signals from policymakers, while the US Dollar (USD) eases slightly despite the ongoing war with Iran.
US consumer sentiment picked up marginal pace in March, as the Conference Board’s Consumer Confidence Index ticked a tad higher to 91.8 from February’s 91.0 (revised from 91.2).
Gold (XAU/USD) trades with an upside bias on Tuesday, on hopes of de-escalation in the Middle East conflict.
USD/CAD edges higher on Tuesday, with the Canadian Dollar (CAD) extending its decline against the US Dollar (USD) for a seventh consecutive day, even as the Greenback eases. At the time of writing, the pair is trading around 1.3960, hovering near its highest level since December 2025.
