European Oil & Gas Stocks Face 2026 With Cautious Outlook Amid Valuation Pressure 
Japan’s Nikkei Drops as Markets Await Key U.S. Inflation Data 
BOJ Faces Pressure for Clarity, but Neutral Rate Estimates Likely to Stay Vague 
Asian Currencies Steady as Rupee Hits Record Low Amid Fed Rate Cut Bets 
Asian Currencies Edge Higher as Markets Look to Fed Rate Cut; Rupee Steadies Near Record Lows 
Asia’s IPO Market Set for Strong Growth as China and India Drive Investor Diversification 
Dollar Holds Steady as Markets Shift Focus to 2026 Rate Cut Expectations 
Dollar Slides to Five-Week Low as Asian Stocks Struggle and Markets Bet on Fed Rate Cut 
Spain’s Industrial Output Records Steady Growth in October Amid Revised September Figures 
China’s Services Sector Posts Slowest Growth in Five Months as Demand Softens 
European Stocks Rise as Markets Await Key U.S. Inflation Data 
Oil Prices Hold Steady as Ukraine Tensions and Fed Cut Expectations Support Market 
China Urged to Prioritize Economy Over Territorial Ambitions, Says Taiwan’s President Lai 
Gold Prices Edge Higher as Markets Await Key U.S. PCE Inflation Data 
U.S. Futures Steady as Rate-Cut Bets Rise on Soft Labor Data 
The U.S. dollar held firm on Monday, with investors bracing for a crucial week of central bank meetings led by the Federal Reserve. Trading was thin in Asia due to a Japanese holiday, keeping most currencies within tight ranges.
The euro dipped 0.09% to $1.1724 after Fitch downgraded France’s credit rating to AA-, its lowest level on record. Despite concerns over political instability and mounting debt, markets largely brushed off the move. Analysts noted that focus remains on upcoming interest rate decisions in the U.S., Japan, the U.K., Canada, and Norway.
The dollar index steadied at 97.65 as markets await the Fed’s policy announcement on Wednesday. Expectations of a 25-basis-point cut are fully priced in, though some analysts suggest a surprise 50-basis-point move could weaken the greenback significantly. Investors will closely monitor the Fed’s “dot plot” and Chair Jerome Powell’s guidance for signals on the pace of future easing.
Sterling held near $1.3554, while the Australian dollar hovered close to a 10-month high at $0.6652. The yen strengthened slightly to 147.56 per dollar ahead of the Bank of Japan’s meeting, with Governor Kazuo Ueda’s comments expected to guide sentiment. Analysts at MUFG said the yen’s weakness could reverse if the BOJ signals a potential rate hike as early as next month.
Elsewhere, the New Zealand dollar eased 0.03% to $0.5953, while the offshore yuan stayed steady at 7.1230 per dollar. Meanwhile, U.S. and Chinese officials wrapped up the first day of trade talks in Madrid, focusing on tariffs and Washington’s pressure over Chinese imports of Russian oil, alongside concerns about TikTok’s future in the U.S.
