Asia Roundup: Yen near 40-year lows, Asian equities gain, Gold extended losses, Oil extends decline -25th June ,2026

Market Roundup

•   Japan Foreign Bond Buying: 199.7B, 382.5B previous

•   Japan Foreign Investments in Japanese Stocks: 479.4B, -785.2B previous

• Australia  Full Employment Change (May): 5.2K, -21.7K previous

• Australia  Unemployment Rate (May): 4.4%, 4.4% forecast, 4.5% previous

• Australia  Employment Change (May): 40.3K, 31.2K forecast, -40.7K previous

• Australia  Participation Rate (May): 66.7%, 66.7% previous, 66.6% previous

•   Japan Coincident Indicator (MoM) (Apr): 1.3%, 1.1% forecast, 0.2% previous

•   Japan Leading Index (MoM) (Apr): 0.7%, 0.5% forecast, 0.8% previous

•   Japan Leading Index (Apr): 116.1, 115.9 forecast, 114.0 previous

Looking Ahead Economic Data (GMT)  

•07:30 Spanish GDP (QoQ) (Q1) 0.6% forecast, 0.8% previous

•07:30 Spanish   GDP (YoY) (Q1) 2.7% forecast, 2.7% previous

•Looking Ahead Events And Other Releases (GMT)  

• 11:00 ECB's Lane Speaks 

Currency Forecast

Currency Forecast

EUR/USD : The euro edged lower  against dollar on Thursday  as markets braced for anticipated ​rate hikes from the Federal Reserve this year, while a recent selloff in technology stocks also provided support for ‌the greenback. Market expectations of a rate hike have increased since the Fed's policy announcement last week, with recent comments from some officials signaling a focus on inflation as the overall economy appears to be on stable footing.The dollar index , which measures the greenback against a basket of currencies, rose 0.19% to 101.58 ​after reaching 101.80, its highest since May 12, 2025, with the euro down 0.21% at $1.1357... Immediate resistance can be seen at 1.1487(Daily high), an upside break can trigger rise towards 1.1577(38.2%fib).On the downside, immediate support is seen at 1.1351(Daily low), a break below could take the pair towards 1.1329(Lower BB).

GBP/USD: The pound  eased  on Thursday  as  sterling continued to weaken  following the resignation of Prime Minister Keir ​Starmer on Monday.  The political development has added fresh uncertainty to the UK outlook, prompting investors to reassess near-term fiscal and policy stability. Currency traders reacted cautiously, with sentiment weighed by concerns that a period of political transition could slow decision-making and dampen investor confidence. As a result, sterling continued to soften against major peers amid broader risk aversion and repositioning in foreign exchange markets.. Immediate resistance can be seen at 1.3326(38.2%fib), an upside break can trigger rise towards 1.3373(SMA 20).On the downside, immediate support is seen at 1.3163(23.6%fib), a break below could take the pair towards1.3135(Lower BB).

 AUD/USD:  Australian dollar   eased  against dollar  on Thursday   despite Australian employment data coming in stronger than expected. Australian data showed employment bounced back by 40,300 in May, though that was balanced by a sharp downward revision for April to a 40,600 drop. The unemployment rate eased back a tick to 4.4% as expected, but hours worked fell sharply.Household spending rebounded by 1.3% in May, offsetting a 1.1% drop in April and suggesting consumers were holding up in the face of high petrol prices and rising interest rates.The Reserve Bank of Australia has raised rates three times this year in an attempt to cool demand and restrain inflation, a task made easier by the rapid retreat in oil prices. Immediate resistance can be seen at 0.7080(SMA 20), an upside break can trigger rise towards 0.7118(50%fib).On the downside, immediate support is seen at 0.6940(23.6%fib), a break below could take the pair towards 0.6902(Lower BB).

USD/JPY:   The dollar edged higher   against yen  on Thursday as yen continues to weaken as Japan's Ministry of Finance has refrained from intervening in the foreign exchange market despite repeated warnings about excessive currency moves.The ongoing "cat-and-mouse" game between Japanese authorities and traders has allowed the pair to steadily advance, keeping pressure on the yen.The pair traded in a 161.74-161.79 range during the Asian session, moving closer to Monday's peak of 161.93.Market positioning suggests yen short positions may have increased further over the past week, leaving the market potentially vulnerable to a sharp reversal. While direct currency intervention from Japanese authorities could have a meaningful impactImmediate resistance can be seen at 161.93(23.6%fib) an upside break can trigger rise towards 162.00(Psychological level) .On the downside, immediate support is seen at  161.21(Daily low)  a break below could take the pair towards 160.13(SAM 20).

Equities Recap

Asian equities surged on Thursday after strong earnings and forecasts from chip giants Micron and Qualcomm helped alleviate some concerns over the red-hot AI rally that has pushed global stocks to record highs.

Japan’s Nikkei 225 was up by  4.69% ,  Souk Korea’s KOSPI  was up at  5.42%, China A50 was up at 1.00%

Commodities Recap

Gold ‌extended losses on Thursday, after falling to a more than seven-month low a day earlier, as the dollar continued to gain on rising bets of U.S. rate hikes this year.

Spot ​gold was down 0.2% at $3,993.33 per ounce, as of 0526 GMT. U.S. gold ​futures for August delivery were steady at $4,008.30.

Oil ​prices extended their decline on Thursday to near levels last seen before the start of the ‌Iran war, as rising supply expectations from the Middle East outweighed demand concerns.

Prompt-month Brent crude futures for August delivery fell $1.22, or 1.65%, to $72.52 a barrel as of 0337 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate lost $1.02, or 1.45%, to $69.32 a barrel.