Danske Bank’s Louise Aggerstrøm Hansen and Asger Wilhelm Dalsjö report that Danish private consumption strengthened in March, with real spending excluding energy up 1.2% month-on-month and 3.8% year-on-year.
Societe Generale’s Dev Ashish reviews Colombian presidential election dynamics ahead of the May 31, 2026 vote, noting that polls suggest a runoff where a unified right has an advantage over the Historic Pact candidate.
AUD/USD stages a sharp reversal on Monday after opening the week with a gap lower, as investors reassess evolving geopolitical developments in the Middle East and the prospects for a US-Iran deal.
Commerzbank’s Head of FX and Commodity Research Thu Lan Nguyen examines Iran’s proposal to charge Strait of Hormuz tolls in Renminbi and finds it unlikely to trigger a major Petroyuan shift.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) edges lower on Monday, slipping around 50 points to trade near 47,900 after recovering from a much steeper drop at the open. The S&P 500 rose 0.2% to trade above 6,800, while the Nasdaq Composite gained 0.6% to push above 23,000.
Silver (XAG/USD) trades around $74.10 on Monday at the time of writing, down 2.23% on the day after briefly dropping to an intraday low near $72.61. The white metal is attempting to stabilize its losses but remains under pressure as the US Dollar (USD) strengthens amid rising geopolitical tensions.
Gold (XAU/USD) regains ground on Monday after a gap-down open, though upside remains limited as markets stay on edge amid escalating tensions between the United States and Iran. At the time of writing, XAU/USD is trading around $4,717, recovering from an intraday low near $4,632.
Deutsche Bank economists say Germany’s recovery is being pushed back by higher energy costs and uncertainty linked to the Middle East conflict. They cut their 2026 growth forecast to 1.0% while keeping 2027 at 1.5%. Inflation is projected to average 2.7% this year.
The Pound Sterling (GBP) remains firm on Monday as talks between Iran and the US disappointed investors, triggering a reaction from the White House, while recent news suggests that Tehran could be considering abandoning uranium enrichment, a key condition set by the US to end the war.
USD/CHF edges lower on Monday but lacks follow-through selling as escalating US-Iran tensions and growing expectations that the Federal Reserve (Fed) will keep interest rates higher for longer, driven by rising Oil prices, help limit downside in the US Dollar (USD).
The USD/JPY pair is trading with a neutral tone near 159.70 on Tuesday, up 0.27%, as markets react to a dramatic escalation in geopolitical tensions following headlines that the United States (US) has moved to effectively shut down traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.
West Texas Intermediate (WTI) US Oil trades around $95.70 per barrel on Monday at the time of writing, rising 5.90% on the day but still struggling to regain the $100 threshold after last week’s sharp volatility.
