Trump Orders Blockade of Sanctioned Oil Tankers, Raising Venezuela Tensions and Oil Prices 
RBA Unlikely to Cut Interest Rates in 2026 as Inflation Pressures Persist, Says Westpac 
Gold Prices Fall Amid Rate Jitters; Copper Steady as China Stimulus Eyed 
BOJ Poised for Historic Rate Hike as Japan Signals Shift Toward Monetary Normalization 
Best Gold Stocks to Buy Now: AABB, GOLD, GDX 
Asian Markets Rebound as Tech Rally Lifts Wall Street, Investors Brace for BOJ Rate Hike 
South Korea Warns Weak Won Could Push Inflation Higher in 2025 
Oil Prices Steady in Asia but Headed for Weekly Loss on Supply Glut Concerns 
Canada Signals Delay in US Tariff Deal as Talks Shift to USMCA Review 
Singapore Growth Outlook Brightens for 2025 as Economists Flag AI and Geopolitical Risks 
Austan Goolsbee Signals Potential for More Fed Rate Cuts as Inflation Shows Improvement 
U.S. Stock Futures Slip After CPI-Fueled Rally as Markets Weigh Economic Uncertainty 
Australian government bonds slumped on the last trading day of the week Friday following weakness in the U.S. Treasuries, pushing the yield on the benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury note rose to 2.849 percent compared with 2.827 percent Tuesday.
The yield on Australia’s benchmark 10-year Note, which moves inversely to its price, rose 2 basis points to 2.648 percent, the yield on the long-term 30-year Note jumped 1 basis point to 3.103 percent and the yield on short-term 2-year up 1/2 basis point to 2.005 percent by 03:30 GMT.
In the United States, Treasuries held tighter trading ranges on Thursday, alongside a modest rebound in equities as markets basked in some amount of calm regarding the escalating trade war between the US and China (and everyone else). With respect to data, markets saw downward final revisions for 1Q18 (coming in around 2.0 percent, below expectations for a 2.2 percent result), alongside an increase in initial jobless claims (increasing to 227k, up from 218k seen prior).
With respect to speakers, markets received largely repeated commentary from Boston Fed President Rosengren, Atlanta Fed President Bostic and St. Louis Fed President Bullard, none of which served to alter the expected pace of Fed policy. Markets now look ahead to a greater flow of data to finish off the week on Friday, highlighted by personal income/spending, Chicago PMI and University of Michigan consumer sentiment releases.
Thursday’s move came a day after concerns about trade tensions between the U.S. and China helped send yields to their lowest level since May 31.
Next week, the Reserve bank of Australia (RBA) monetary policy meeting will be on investors list, where the Australian central bank is expected to hold its current policy stance, keeping interest rate unchanged at 1.50 percent.
Meanwhile, the S&P/ASX 200 index traded 0.23 percent lower at 6,172.5 by 03:50 GMT, while at 03:00GMT, the FxWirePro's Hourly AUD Strength Index remained neutral at 54.35 (a reading above +75 indicates a bullish trend, while that below -75 a bearish trend). For more details, visit http://www.fxwirepro.com/currencyindex
