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.
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.
Commerzbank analysts Carsten Fritsch and Barbara Lambrecht highlight that the Iran war and Strait of Hormuz closure have sharply lifted Brent and refined product prices, especially diesel and jet fuel.
The number of job openings in the United States (US) declined to 6.882 million in February from 7.24 million in January, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported in its Job Openings and Labor Turnover (JOLTS) report on Tuesday.
ING’s commodities team highlights that Aluminium prices rallied toward $3,500/t on the LME as Middle East supply risks escalated. Damage at Emirates Global Aluminium and potential disruption at Aluminium Bahrain threaten around 3.2Mt of annual capacity.
United States JOLTS Job Openings below forecasts (6.92M) in February: Actual (6.882M)
TD Securities analysts highlight growing official frustration with Japanese Yen weakness as USD/JPY breached the 160 level in the past week.
United States Chicago PMI registered at 52.8, below expectations (55) in March
