- South Korea's KOSPI (equity index) and won both taking a hit on North Korea strike report
- An evacuation order has been issued for South Korean border island of Yeonpyeong
- Best year for UK car sales since the COVID-19 pandemic
- Home foreclosures in China rose by 33.5% to 709,000 cases in the first 11 months of 2023
- Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond President Thomas Barkin is speaking on Friday
- Bitcoin slammed lower - sell the Spot ETF approval fact?
- After the NFP data from the US later there is more critical data following - ISM PMI
- PBOC sets USD/ CNY reference rate for today at 7.1029
- Goldman Sachs warns an extended disruption in Strait of Hormuz could double oil price
- Oil traders note - Biden is drawing up plans that include striking Houthi targets in Yemen
- Japan December Services PMI 51.5 (prior 50.8)
- Trading basics - how monkeys understand Expected Value and scientists don't
- Is this confirmation that a spot Bitcoin ETF has been officially approved?
- Here is what to watch for an extreme surprise in Friday's US employment report
- Analysts forecast rate cuts by Bank of England, citing softer wage growth & inflation
- The Bank of Japan's upcoming meeting (Jan 22 - 23) will not see an end to negative rates
- Multiple social media sources suggest imminent approval of bitcoin spot ETF applications
- UBS says Fed December meeting minutes are fuelling confirmation bias
- Forexlive Americas FX news wrap: The USD/JPY rebound continues as ADP beats estimates
- US stocks close near session lows
- DoubleLine Capital’s Jeffrey Sherman says a March FOMC rate cut is "a little optimistic"
- Trade ideas thread - Friday, 5 January, insightful charts, technical analysis, ideas
- Preview: November non-farm payrolls by the numbers
See the points above for what to watch in the nonfarm payroll and ISM services PMI data due from the US Friday morning, specifically on the range of estimates and why these are important to be aware of.
Asia FX traded in small ranges with a little net strength for the the US dollar overall. EUR, yen, GBP, AUD, NZD, CAD and gold are all a little lower against the big dollar.
Us politics media reported on the Biden administration overseeing the drafting of plans to hit back at Iran-backed Houthi militants who have been attacking commercial shipping in the Red Sea. The prospect of an intensifying war in the Middle East supported the dollar and oil.
Bitcoin came under pressure as speculation on the imminent approval of spot ETFs gathered pace. The rumours have been doing the rounds for months now and crypto markets are looking like a ‘sell the fact’ response is on the cards.
Locally, China's government bonds rallied further, with the yield on the 10-year benchmark falling further towards 2.5%, to its lowest in more than three years. The increased demand for government bonds alongside lower market interest rates is pointing towards pressure for further policy accommodation from the People’s Bank of China. The offshore yuan. CNH, touched above 7.1800 during the session, its weakest since December 13.
In further regional news, North Korea fired more than 200 coastal artillery shells towards the South Korean border island Yeonpyeong, prompting South Korea’s military to issue an evacuation order for civilians on the island. South Korea confirmed, though, that the shells fell short of the island, landing north of the hotly disputed Northern Limit Line (NLL), the maritime border line with North Korea. South Korea says it will respond with live fire drills.
South Korea's KOSPI index:
