Forex & Trading·May 20, 2026

The USD is little changed/mixed to start the North American session. What levels to watch?

The USD is mixed/little changed with the EURUSD, USDJPY and the GBPUSD all trading within 0.05% of unchanged on the day. The UK inflation data came in lower than expections helped by one off and base effects. The EU final CPI came in as expected. In the video above, I take a look at the 3 major currency pairs from a technical perspective. Meanwhile, the AUD and the NZD are the biggest movers as they benefit from higher stocks and lower yields as the NA session begins. Needless to say, the situation in the Middle east remain on a knifes edge but Trump says they will end the war very quickly but has not ruled out more conflict as well. Today, in review, UK inflation came in softer than expected in April, with headline CPI slowing to 2.8% year-over-year versus the 3.0% estimate and down from 3.3% previously, while core CPI eased to 2.5% from 3.1%. The biggest surprise came from services inflation, which fell sharply to 3.2% from 4.5%, helped by softer monthly price gains and a number of temporary factors. Much of the downside pressure came from housing-related costs as lower electricity and gas prices weighed on inflation, while comparisons to last year’s sharp increases in water and sewage bills also created favorable base effects. Airfares were another major drag, with prices falling this April compared to a large surge a year ago. Despite the softer report, the details suggest this is not necessarily a sign of a lasting shift lower in UK inflation. Instead, many of the declines were driven by one-off distortions and base effects, while the broader inflation outlook remains clouded by rising energy prices tied to the ongoing US-Iran conflict. Eurozone inflation accelerated further in April, with headline CPI confirmed at 3.0% year-over-year, up from 2.6% in March, largely driven by another sharp increase in energy prices tied to the ongoing Middle East conflict. Energy inflation rose 10.8% annually, a significant jump from 5.1% previously, while monthly energy prices climbed 3.0%, making it the primary driver behind the stronger headline reading. The better news for the ECB was that core inflation remained contained, easing slightly to 2.2% from 2.3%, suggesting that broader underlying price pressures have not yet fully absorbed the higher energy costs. Services inflation also cooled modestly to 3.0% from 3.3%, while food inflation held relatively steady near 2.4%. However, the overall report still points to building inflation pressures as elevated energy costs increasingly filter through the broader economy. With the US-Iran conflict continuing and no clear resolution in sight, inflation in the euro area is expected to remain supported through Q2 and likely into the early part of Q3. Looking at the pre-market for US stocks, futures are implying higher levels Dow industrial average is up 110 point S&P index is up 27 point NASDAQ index is up 176 points After the close: the long-awaited Nvidia earnings will be released with expectations of EPS of $1.77 on revenues of $78.9 billion (of course the whisper number would be higher). Looking at the US debt market, yields are modestly lower: 2 year yield 4.095%, -2.7 basis points 5 year yield 4.299%, -3.0 basis points 10 year yield 4.643%, -2.6 basis points 30 year yield 5.166%, -5 basis points in other markets: Gold is up $14.33 or 0.32% at $4497.77 as it reacts to the lower rates Silver is up $2.11 or 2.84% at $75.74. Crude oil is down $1.50 at $102.54 Bitcoin is up $500 and $77,305 This article was written by Greg Michalowski at investinglive.com.

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The USD is little changed/mixed to start the North American session. What levels to watch?
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The USD is mixed/little changed with the EURUSD, USDJPY and the GBPUSD all trading within 0.05% of unchanged on the day. The UK inflation data came in lower than expections helped by one off and base effects. The EU final CPI came in as expected. In the video above, I take a look at the 3 major currency pairs from a technical perspective. Meanwhile, the AUD and the NZD are the biggest movers as they benefit from higher stocks and lower yields as the NA session begins. Needless to say, the situation in the Middle east remain on a knifes edge but Trump says they will end the war very quickly but has not ruled out more conflict as well. Today, in review, UK inflation came in softer than expected in April, with headline CPI slowing to 2.8% year-over-year versus the 3.0% estimate and down from 3.3% previously, while core CPI eased to 2.5% from 3.1%. The biggest surprise came from services inflation, which fell sharply to 3.2% from 4.5%, helped by softer monthly price gains and a number of temporary factors. Much of the downside pressure came from housing-related costs as lower electricity and gas prices weighed on inflation, while comparisons to last year’s sharp increases in water and sewage bills also created favorable base effects. Airfares were another major drag, with prices falling this April compared to a large surge a year ago. Despite the softer report, the details suggest this is not necessarily a sign of a lasting shift lower in UK inflation. Instead, many of the declines were driven by one-off distortions and base effects, while the broader inflation outlook remains clouded by rising energy prices tied to the ongoing US-Iran conflict. Eurozone inflation accelerated further in April, with headline CPI confirmed at 3.0% year-over-year, up from 2.6% in March, largely driven by another sharp increase in energy prices tied to the ongoing Middle East conflict. Energy inflation rose 10.8% annually, a significant jump from 5.1% previously, while monthly energy prices climbed 3.0%, making it the primary driver behind the stronger headline reading. The better news for the ECB was that core inflation remained contained, easing slightly to 2.2% from 2.3%, suggesting that broader underlying price pressures have not yet fully absorbed the higher energy costs. Services inflation also cooled modestly to 3.0% from 3.3%, while food inflation held relatively steady near 2.4%. However, the overall report still points to building inflation pressures as elevated energy costs increasingly filter through the broader economy. With the US-Iran conflict continuing and no clear resolution in sight, inflation in the euro area is expected to remain supported through Q2 and likely into the early part of Q3. Looking at the pre-market for US stocks, futures are implying higher levels Dow industrial average is up 110 point S&P index is up 27 point NASDAQ index is up 176 points After the close: the long-awaited Nvidia earnings will be released with expectations of EPS of $1.77 on revenues of $78.9 billion (of course the whisper number would be higher). Looking at the US debt market, yields are modestly lower: 2 year yield 4.095%, -2.7 basis points 5 year yield 4.299%, -3.0 basis points 10 year yield 4.643%, -2.6 basis points 30 year yield 5.166%, -5 basis points in other markets: Gold is up $14.33 or 0.32% at $4497.77 as it reacts to the lower rates Silver is up $2.11 or 2.84% at $75.74. Crude oil is down $1.50 at $102.54 Bitcoin is up $500 and $77,305 This article was written by Greg Michalowski at investinglive.com.

  • The USD is mixed/little changed with the EURUSD, USDJPY and the GBPUSD all trading within 0.05% of unchanged on the day.
  • Today, in review, UK inflation came in softer than expected in April, with headline CPI slowing to 2.8% year-over-year versus the 3.0% estimate and down from 3.3% previously, while core CPI eased to 2.5% from 3.1%.
  • The biggest surprise came from services inflation, which fell sharply to 3.2% from 4.5%, helped by softer monthly price gains and a number of temporary factors.
  • Eurozone inflation accelerated further in April, with headline CPI confirmed at 3.0% year-over-year, up from 2.6% in March, largely driven by another sharp increase in energy prices tied to the ongoing Middle East conflict.
  • Crude oil is down $1.50 at $102.54 Bitcoin is up $500 and $77,305 This article was written by Greg Michalowski at investinglive.com.
$1.77$78.9 billion$14.33$4497.77$2.11$75.74
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The USD is mixed/little changed with the EURUSD, USDJPY and the GBPUSD all trading within 0.05% of unchanged on the day. The UK inflation data came in lower than expections helped by one off and base effects. The EU final CPI came in as expected. In the video above, I take a look at the 3 major currency pairs from a technical perspective. Meanwhile, the AUD and the NZD are the biggest movers as they benefit from higher stocks and lower yields as the NA session begins. Needless to say, the situation in the Middle east remain on a knifes edge but Trump says they will end the war very quickly but has not ruled out more conflict as well. Today, in review, UK inflation came in softer than expected in April, with headline CPI slowing to 2.8% year-over-year versus the 3.0% estimate and down from 3.3% previously, while core CPI eased to 2.5% from 3.1%. The biggest surprise came from services inflation, which fell sharply to 3.2% from 4.5%, helped by softer monthly price gains and a number of temporary factors. Much of the downside pressure came from housing-related costs as lower electricity and gas prices weighed on inflation, while comparisons to last year’s sharp increases in water and sewage bills also created favorable base effects. Airfares were another major drag, with prices falling this April compared to a large surge a year ago. Despite the softer report, the details suggest this is not necessarily a sign of a lasting shift lower in UK inflation. Instead, many of the declines were driven by one-off distortions and base effects, while the broader inflation outlook remains clouded by rising energy prices tied to the ongoing US-Iran conflict. Eurozone inflation accelerated further in April, with headline CPI confirmed at 3.0% year-over-year, up from 2.6% in March, largely driven by another sharp increase in energy prices tied to the ongoing Middle East conflict. Energy inflation rose 10.8% annually, a significant jump from 5.1% previously, while monthly energy prices climbed 3.0%, making it the primary driver behind the stronger headline reading. The better news for the ECB was that core inflation remained contained, easing slightly to 2.2% from 2.3%, suggesting that broader underlying price pressures have not yet fully absorbed the higher energy costs. Services inflation also cooled modestly to 3.0% from 3.3%, while food inflation held relatively steady near 2.4%. However, the overall report still points to building inflation pressures as elevated energy costs increasingly filter through the broader economy. With the US-Iran conflict continuing and no clear resolution in sight, inflation in the euro area is expected to remain supported through Q2 and likely into the early part of Q3. Looking at the pre-market for US stocks, futures are implying higher levels Dow industrial average is up 110 point S&P index is up 27 point NASDAQ index is up 176 points After the close: the long-awaited Nvidia earnings will be released with expectations of EPS of $1.77 on revenues of $78.9 billion (of course the whisper number would be higher). Looking at the US debt market, yields are modestly lower: 2 year yield 4.095%, -2.7 basis points 5 year yield 4.299%, -3.0 basis points 10 year yield 4.643%, -2.6 basis points 30 year yield 5.166%, -5 basis points in other markets: Gold is up $14.33 or 0.32% at $4497.77 as it reacts to the lower rates Silver is up $2.11 or 2.84% at $75.74. Crude oil is down $1.50 at $102.54 Bitcoin is up $500 and $77,305 This article was written by Greg Michalowski at investinglive.com.

Integrity note  ·  Xela does not rewrite or paraphrase article content. The excerpt above is the source publication's own words, sanitized for display. For the full piece — including any quotes, charts, or images — read it at Forexlive. Xela's rewritten version is off for this story, so there's no editorial angle attached — you're getting the source's reporting unfiltered. When the rewrite is on, we add a What this means block underneath with the operator/trader takeaway.

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investingLive Americas FX news wrap 5 Jun:A strong US jobs report sends bonds/stocks lower
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investingLive Americas FX news wrap 5 Jun:A strong US jobs report sends bonds/stocks lower

Taken together, the reports painted a picture of two labor markets that remain far more resilient than expected. That is the good news. The not so good news for policymakers, is that the stronger employment data reduces pressure for additional monetary easing. In the U.S., markets pushed Treasury yields higher and increased expectations that the Federal Reserve will keep rates elevated for longer and perhaps raise rates toward the end of the year (that would be a big reversal from just a few months ago). While in Canada the report reinforced expectations that the Bank of Canada may remain on hold after its recent easing cycle. Currency markets reflected the stronger Canadian data, with USDCAD moving modestly lower following the release, although gains in the U.S. dollar from the stronger U.S. report limited the downside. The stronger-than-expected U.S. jobs report sparked a sharp selloff in the Treasury market as traders reduced expectations for near-term Federal Reserve rate cuts. The move was led by the front end of the yield curve, reflecting a repricing of Fed policy expectations. The 2-year Treasury yield climbed 10.0 basis points to 4.15%, while the 5-year yield rose 7.9 basis points to 4.268. Longer-term yields also moved higher, with the benchmark 10-year yield increasing 5.5 basis points to 4.530% and the 30-year bond yield advancing 2.0 basis points to 4.996%. The steeper rise in shorter-dated yields highlighted the market's view that a resilient labor market and still-elevated inflation pressures could keep the Federal Reserve on hold for longer than previously anticipated.Stocks were mixed to start the day with the Dow higher and the S&P and Nasdaq lower (Nasdaq was down about 300 points going into the jobs report). The jobs report sent the stocks lower on the back up in yields Concerns about the events of the week with Alphabets floating of $85 billion of equity a reminder that AI is going to cost a lot, and that cost is now eating into shareowners value as equity gets diluted. In the past, stock owners benefited from buybacks of shares reversing dilution.. Now with the number of shares increasing, that idea is reversing The declines started to accelerate with both the S&P and NASDAQ indices closed closing below their 200 hour moving averages for the first time since April 2026. For the S&P index the 200 hour moving average comes in at 7404.33. The closing price was 7383.73. For the NASDAQ index the 200 hour moving averages at 26069.49 with a closing price well below that level at 25709.43. There were a number of losers which fell over 10% today including: In a unique week, Marvel Technology was one of the worst performers today with a decline of -16.74%, but one of the best performers for the week with a gain of 28.52%. Indicative of the craziness, it's stock is still up 210% for the year. The stock price this week reached a $324.20 before closing today at $263.47. The USD was stronger today with the AUD and the NZD the hardest hit vs the greenback. Below is an end of week video, outlining the technicals for those two pairs as the trading week comes to an end. Ranking the major currencies losses versus the greenback showed JPY -0.17% CAD -0.19% GBP -0.60% EUR -0.78% NZD -1.19% AUD -1.23% The price of gold reacted negatively to the higher yields and the higher dollar. Gold tumbled $147.17 or -3.29% for its worst day since March 20. For the week the price fell -4.614% Silver fell by $-6.02 or -8.15% (its worst day since May 15). For the week the price fell -9.837% Bitcoin continued its move to the downside fell more than 16% this week its worst one week % decline since October 2022 It raises an interesting question: Did some insiders have a rough day today? The markets will next prepare for Kevin Warsh's first meeting as the Fed chair, but before then, the CPI data will be released next week with expectations for a core gain of 0.5% and the YoY rising to 2.9% from 2.8%. The headline is expected to reach 4.2% from 3.8% last month. The Bank of Canada is expected to keep rates unchanged but with the strong jobs report it will be interesting to see if there is a shift. The ECB will also meet and the market has priced a 25 basis point hike. That has been pretty well telegraphed from policy makers already. This article was written by Greg Michalowski at investinglive.com.

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