Commerzbank’s Dr. Henry Hao sees upside risks to China’s Q1 2026 GDP versus the bank’s 4.6% forecast, supported by resilient exports and front‑loaded public investment. Industrial production is projected to grow 5.5% year‑on‑year, while retail sales slow to 2.5%.
United Kingdom CFTC GBP NC Net Positions: £-56.4K vs previous £-52.7K
United States CFTC Oil NC Net Positions down to 202.2K from previous 213.5K
United States CFTC Gold NC Net Positions: $156.3K vs previous $163.2K
Australia CFTC AUD NC Net Positions dipped from previous $81.5K to $70.8K
Eurozone CFTC EUR NC Net Positions: €-7.5K vs previous €0.5K
United States CFTC S&P 500 NC Net Positions declined to $-45.7K from previous $-42.5K
Japan CFTC JPY NC Net Positions dipped from previous ¥-72.9K to ¥-93.7K
ING’s Chief Economist for Greater China, Lynn Song, highlights that Taiwan’s March trade data far exceeded expectations, with exports and imports surging and the trade surplus more than doubling year-on-year in the first quarter of 2026.
Gold (XAU/USD) price remains steady on Friday, poised to finish the week with gains of almost 2% as the US Dollar tumbles amid optimism about Iran-US talks in Pakistan throughout the weekend. Also, a mildly high US inflation report trimmed the Federal Reserve's (Fed) dovish bets for 2026.
The US Dollar Index (DXY) fell toward the 98.60 price region as markets digest the latest US Consumer Price Index (CPI) report, which confirmed that inflation remains stubbornly elevated, largely driven by energy prices amid war in the Middle East.
DBS Group Research expects the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) to slightly increase the slope of the Singapore Dollar (SGD) Nominal Effective Exchange Rate (NEER) policy band at its 14 April meeting, reversing last year’s easing.
