http://www.dukascopy.com Market News and Analysis by Dukascopy Bank SA en-us www.dukascopy.com, all rights reserved info@dukascopy.com (Dukascopy Bank) Sat, 04 Apr 2026 10:55:21 +0000 http://www.dukascopy.com/static/images/og/6396.jpg https://www.dukascopy.com 1200 630 https://www.dukascopy.com/swiss/sk/marketwatch/market-news/Fundamental-Analysis/rss The March 2026 ISM Manufacturing PMI report shows that U.S. manufacturing is still growing, marking its third straight month of expansion with a PMI of 52.7%. This also reflects a broader economic expansion that has now lasted 17 months, with GDP growing at about 1.8% annually. The growth is mainly coming from higher production and steady new orders. Production has been Wed, 01 Apr 2026 14:12:14 +0000 https://www.dukascopy.com/swiss/sk/marketwatch/market-news/Fundamental-Analysis/rss Fundamental-Analysis https://www.dukascopy.com/swiss/sk/marketwatch/market-news/Fundamental-Analysis/rss The UK economy grew by an unrevised 0.1% in Q4 2025, bringing total annual growth for the year to 1.4%, a slight upward revision from previous estimates. This quarterly performance was characterized by a 1.2% expansion in the production sector, driven largely by manufacturing and energy, which offset a 2.0% decline in construction and flat growth in services. While GDP Tue, 31 Mar 2026 07:45:59 +0000 https://www.dukascopy.com/swiss/sk/marketwatch/market-news/Fundamental-Analysis/rss Fundamental-Analysis https://www.dukascopy.com/swiss/sk/marketwatch/market-news/Fundamental-Analysis/rss According to the Office for National Statistics, retail sales volumes in Great Britain fell by 0.4% in February 2026, a correction following a sharp 2.0% rise in January. This monthly decline was largely attributed to consumers front-loading their spending in January to capitalize on discounts, as well as above-average rainfall dampening demand for household goods. Despite this monthly slip, the Fri, 27 Mar 2026 07:41:14 +0000 https://www.dukascopy.com/swiss/sk/marketwatch/market-news/Fundamental-Analysis/rss Fundamental-Analysis https://www.dukascopy.com/swiss/sk/marketwatch/market-news/Fundamental-Analysis/rss The central bank decided to keep interest rates at 3.75%. A conflict in the Middle East has increased global energy and commodity prices, which will make fuel and utility bills more expensive and push inflation higher in the short term. Before this, inflation had been falling Although the central bank cannot control global energy prices, it aims to keep inflation Fri, 20 Mar 2026 08:10:07 +0000 https://www.dukascopy.com/swiss/sk/marketwatch/market-news/Fundamental-Analysis/rss Fundamental-Analysis https://www.dukascopy.com/swiss/sk/marketwatch/market-news/Fundamental-Analysis/rss The Reserve Bank of Australia has increased the cash rate by 0.25% to 4.10% following a 5-4 majority vote, responding to a resurgence of inflation in the second half of 2025. The Board cited strong domestic pressures, including higher-than-expected consumer demand, robust business investment, and a tighter labor market with unemployment falling faster than anticipated. Global risks have also contributed, Wed, 18 Mar 2026 08:16:50 +0000 https://www.dukascopy.com/swiss/sk/marketwatch/market-news/Fundamental-Analysis/rss Fundamental-Analysis https://www.dukascopy.com/swiss/sk/marketwatch/market-news/Fundamental-Analysis/rss The March 2026 ZEW Indicator shows that economic confidence in both Germany and the Eurozone has fallen sharply. In Germany, expectations dropped dramatically to around zero, even though views on the current situation improved slightly but remain very weak. In the wider Eurozone, expectations also turned negative, and the current economic situation worsened noticeably. The main reason for this downturn Tue, 17 Mar 2026 13:10:40 +0000 https://www.dukascopy.com/swiss/sk/marketwatch/market-news/Fundamental-Analysis/rss Fundamental-Analysis https://www.dukascopy.com/swiss/sk/marketwatch/market-news/Fundamental-Analysis/rss The Empire State Manufacturing Survey for March 2026 indicates that manufacturing activity in New York State remained essentially unchanged compared with the previous month. The survey's headline index registered -0.2, signaling that overall business conditions were nearly flat. Roughly equal shares of firms reported improvements and declines in activity, effectively balancing each other out. Despite the stagnant headline reading, underlying indicators Mon, 16 Mar 2026 12:42:18 +0000 https://www.dukascopy.com/swiss/sk/marketwatch/market-news/Fundamental-Analysis/rss Fundamental-Analysis https://www.dukascopy.com/swiss/sk/marketwatch/market-news/Fundamental-Analysis/rss According to the UK's official economic estimates, the United Kingdom's real gross domestic product grew by 0.2% in the three months leading up to January 2026, although there was no growth during January itself. Over a longer period, the economy is estimated to have expanded by 0.9% compared with the same three-month period ending in January 2025. Growth during this period Fri, 13 Mar 2026 09:48:45 +0000 https://www.dukascopy.com/swiss/sk/marketwatch/market-news/Fundamental-Analysis/rss Fundamental-Analysis https://www.dukascopy.com/swiss/sk/marketwatch/market-news/Fundamental-Analysis/rss According to the U.S. Census Bureau and Bureau of Economic Analysis, the U.S. goods and services trade deficit significantly narrowed to $54.5 billion in January 2026, down $18.4 billion from a revised $72.9 billion in December 2025. This improvement was driven by rising exports and falling imports. Total exports increased by $15.8 billion (5.5%) to $302.1 billion, mainly due to Thu, 12 Mar 2026 12:49:32 +0000 https://www.dukascopy.com/swiss/sk/marketwatch/market-news/Fundamental-Analysis/rss Fundamental-Analysis https://www.dukascopy.com/swiss/sk/marketwatch/market-news/Fundamental-Analysis/rss The February 2026 RICS UK Residential Market Survey shows that the housing market is currently fragile, mainly due to economic uncertainty and rising geopolitical tensions, particularly the conflict in the Middle East. Buyer demand has recently weakened, with fewer new enquiries from potential buyers. As a result, agreed property sales remain low. The number of new properties coming onto the market Thu, 12 Mar 2026 08:04:53 +0000 https://www.dukascopy.com/swiss/sk/marketwatch/market-news/Fundamental-Analysis/rss Fundamental-Analysis https://www.dukascopy.com/swiss/sk/marketwatch/market-news/Fundamental-Analysis/rss U.S. refinery activity surged last week, with crude oil inputs rising to 16.2 million barrels per day and capacity utilization hitting 90.8%. While crude oil inventories grew by 3.8 million barrels, key fuel stocks saw significant drawdowns: motor gasoline inventories fell by 3.7 million barrels, and distillate fuels dropped by 1.3 million barrels. Overall demand remains steady, with total products Wed, 11 Mar 2026 14:59:58 +0000 https://www.dukascopy.com/swiss/sk/marketwatch/market-news/Fundamental-Analysis/rss Fundamental-Analysis https://www.dukascopy.com/swiss/sk/marketwatch/market-news/Fundamental-Analysis/rss According to the latest report released on March 10, 2026 by the National Association of Realtors, the U.S. housing market showed a modest rebound in February after a slow start to the year. Existing-home sales rose 1.7% from January to an annualized pace of 4.09 million homes, suggesting slightly stronger demand as affordability conditions improved and the long-running "lock-in effect"—where Tue, 10 Mar 2026 14:18:39 +0000 https://www.dukascopy.com/swiss/sk/marketwatch/market-news/Fundamental-Analysis/rss Fundamental-Analysis https://www.dukascopy.com/swiss/sk/marketwatch/market-news/Fundamental-Analysis/rss In January 2026, Germany's foreign trade showed a decline in both exports and imports compared to December 2025, but the trade surplus continued to grow. Exports totaled 130.5 billion euros, down 2.3% from the previous month, while imports fell 5.9% to 109.2 billion euros. As a result, the trade surplus increased to 21.2 billion euros, up from 17.4 billion euros Tue, 10 Mar 2026 09:20:06 +0000 https://www.dukascopy.com/swiss/sk/marketwatch/market-news/Fundamental-Analysis/rss Fundamental-Analysis https://www.dukascopy.com/swiss/sk/marketwatch/market-news/Fundamental-Analysis/rss The latest report from the U.S. Energy Information Administration shows that U.S. natural gas storage declined significantly during the week ending February 27, 2026 as winter heating demand remained strong. Total working gas in storage fell to 1,886 Bcf (Billion Cubic Feet) after a withdrawal of 132 Bcf from the previous week, which represents about 6.5% of total inventories. Despite Thu, 05 Mar 2026 15:54:17 +0000 https://www.dukascopy.com/swiss/sk/marketwatch/market-news/Fundamental-Analysis/rss Fundamental-Analysis https://www.dukascopy.com/swiss/sk/marketwatch/market-news/Fundamental-Analysis/rss The February 2026 ISM Services PMI report shows that the U.S. services sector continued to grow. The index rose to 56.1%, which is 2.3 percentage points higher than January and the highest level since July 2022. Because a PMI reading above 50 indicates expansion, this result signals strong growth in services. It also suggests that the overall U.S. economy has Thu, 05 Mar 2026 08:29:35 +0000 https://www.dukascopy.com/swiss/sk/marketwatch/market-news/Fundamental-Analysis/rss Fundamental-Analysis https://www.dukascopy.com/swiss/sk/marketwatch/market-news/Fundamental-Analysis/rss In the December 2025 quarter, Australia recorded a current account deficit of $21.1 billion, driven mainly by a larger net primary income deficit of $21.7 billion. Primary income credits fell 3.0% while debits rose 3.3%. The goods and services balance remained steady with a surplus of $1,324 million, as goods exports rose 3.4% and services exports 2.6%, while imports increased Tue, 03 Mar 2026 09:45:32 +0000 https://www.dukascopy.com/swiss/sk/marketwatch/market-news/Fundamental-Analysis/rss Fundamental-Analysis https://www.dukascopy.com/swiss/sk/marketwatch/market-news/Fundamental-Analysis/rss In February, U.S. manufacturing continued to expand for the second month in a row, with the Manufacturing PMI at 52.4%, slightly lower than January but marking 16 months of overall economic growth. Out of 18 manufacturing industries tracked, 12 grew, led by Printing & Related Support Activities and Textile Mills, while five contracted., New orders and production are still growing but Mon, 02 Mar 2026 15:08:15 +0000 https://www.dukascopy.com/swiss/sk/marketwatch/market-news/Fundamental-Analysis/rss Fundamental-Analysis https://www.dukascopy.com/swiss/sk/marketwatch/market-news/Fundamental-Analysis/rss In January 2026, wholesale inflation in the U.S. rose, with the Final Demand PPI increasing 0.5% for the month and 2.9% over the past year. Core PPI, which excludes food, energy, and trade services, rose 0.3%, marking nine consecutive months of increases. The main driver was services, which jumped 0.8%, led by higher trade margins, particularly in professional and commercial Fri, 27 Feb 2026 15:43:59 +0000 https://www.dukascopy.com/swiss/sk/marketwatch/market-news/Fundamental-Analysis/rss Fundamental-Analysis https://www.dukascopy.com/swiss/sk/marketwatch/market-news/Fundamental-Analysis/rss Switzerland's economy showed modest signs of recovery at the end of the year. In the fourth quarter of 2025, gross domestic product grew by 0.2% after adjusting for sporting events, helping stabilize the economy following a 0.4% decline in the previous quarter. Over the full year, adjusted GDP increased by 1.4%, an improvement compared with 1.2% growth in 2024. The main Fri, 27 Feb 2026 08:24:51 +0000 https://www.dukascopy.com/swiss/sk/marketwatch/market-news/Fundamental-Analysis/rss Fundamental-Analysis https://www.dukascopy.com/swiss/sk/marketwatch/market-news/Fundamental-Analysis/rss Australia's annual inflation rate held steady at 3.8% in the year to January 2026. Prices rose 0.4% over the month (0.5% seasonally adjusted). Core inflation, measured by the trimmed mean, edged up to 3.4%. Housing was the biggest driver, rising 6.8%, followed by recreation and culture (3.7%) and food and non-alcoholic beverages (3.1%). Goods inflation increased to 3.8%, largely due Wed, 25 Feb 2026 07:58:18 +0000 https://www.dukascopy.com/swiss/sk/marketwatch/market-news/Fundamental-Analysis/rss Fundamental-Analysis https://www.dukascopy.com/swiss/sk/marketwatch/market-news/Fundamental-Analysis/rss Real gross domestic product (GDP) grew at an annual rate of 1.4 percent in the fourth quarter of 2025, according to the advance estimate. This marked a slowdown from 4.4 percent in the third quarter. For the full year, real GDP increased by 2.2 percent, down from 2.8 percent in 2024. The fourth-quarter growth was mainly driven by higher consumer spending Fri, 20 Feb 2026 13:55:04 +0000 https://www.dukascopy.com/swiss/sk/marketwatch/market-news/Fundamental-Analysis/rss Fundamental-Analysis https://www.dukascopy.com/swiss/sk/marketwatch/market-news/Fundamental-Analysis/rss In December 2025, the U.S. trade deficit widened sharply to $70.3 billion, an increase of $17.3 billion from November. This expansion was driven primarily by a $15.7 billion rise in the goods deficit and a $1.6 billion narrowing of the services surplus. Total exports declined by $5.0 billion to $287.3 billion. Goods exports fell by $5.5 billion, largely due to Fri, 20 Feb 2026 08:34:24 +0000 https://www.dukascopy.com/swiss/sk/marketwatch/market-news/Fundamental-Analysis/rss Fundamental-Analysis https://www.dukascopy.com/swiss/sk/marketwatch/market-news/Fundamental-Analysis/rss According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, Australia's unemployment rate was 4.1% in January 2026 in both trend and seasonally adjusted terms, with the trend rate edging slightly lower and the seasonally adjusted rate unchanged. The participation rate held at 66.7%, while total employment rose above 14.7 million. Trend employment increased by 24,700 people and seasonally adjusted employment rose by Thu, 19 Feb 2026 09:16:07 +0000 https://www.dukascopy.com/swiss/sk/marketwatch/market-news/Fundamental-Analysis/rss Fundamental-Analysis https://www.dukascopy.com/swiss/sk/marketwatch/market-news/Fundamental-Analysis/rss The UK employment rate for people aged 16 to 64 was 75 percent in October to December 2025, unchanged from a year earlier. Unemployment rose to 5.2 percent, while economic inactivity fell to 20.8 percent. Payrolled employees fell 0.4 percent over the year to 30.3 million in January 2026. Average earnings grew 4.2 percent, with public sector pay rising faster Tue, 17 Feb 2026 11:25:08 +0000 https://www.dukascopy.com/swiss/sk/marketwatch/market-news/Fundamental-Analysis/rss Fundamental-Analysis https://www.dukascopy.com/swiss/sk/marketwatch/market-news/Fundamental-Analysis/rss The February 2026 preliminary data reveals a stalled consumer recovery, as a marginal rise in the sentiment index to 57.3 masks a sharp divide between wealthy stockholders and those without investments. Despite reaching a six-month high, the index remains roughly 20% lower than the previous year, suppressed by ongoing anxiety over job security and the high cost of living. While Mon, 16 Feb 2026 12:33:19 +0000 https://www.dukascopy.com/swiss/sk/marketwatch/market-news/Fundamental-Analysis/rss Fundamental-Analysis https://www.dukascopy.com/swiss/sk/marketwatch/market-news/Fundamental-Analysis/rss Existing-home sales declined sharply in January 2026, falling 8.4% across all four major U.S. regions—West, Midwest, South, and Northeast, compared with the previous month, according to the National Association of Realtors. Total sales volume dropped to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 3.91 million units. The median existing-home sales price was $396,800, and housing inventory stood at 3.7 months' supply. Fri, 13 Feb 2026 09:45:04 +0000 https://www.dukascopy.com/swiss/sk/marketwatch/market-news/Fundamental-Analysis/rss Fundamental-Analysis https://www.dukascopy.com/swiss/sk/marketwatch/market-news/Fundamental-Analysis/rss In January 2026, employment in Canada edged down slightly, causing the employment rate to fall to 60.8 percent. Despite this, the unemployment rate dropped to 6.5 percent because fewer people were actively looking for work. Part-time jobs declined, while full-time employment increased. Private sector employment fell, while public sector employment remained mostly unchanged. Average hourly wages rose 3.3 percent year-over-year Mon, 09 Feb 2026 11:55:04 +0000 https://www.dukascopy.com/swiss/sk/marketwatch/market-news/Fundamental-Analysis/rss Fundamental-Analysis https://www.dukascopy.com/swiss/sk/marketwatch/market-news/Fundamental-Analysis/rss On 4 February 2026, the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee judged that maintaining the Bank Rate at 3.75% was appropriate, as inflation remains above the 2% target but is expected to return to around target from April, supported by lower energy prices and measures in Budget 2025. While pay growth and services inflation are easing, they are still above Thu, 05 Feb 2026 13:10:32 +0000 https://www.dukascopy.com/swiss/sk/marketwatch/market-news/Fundamental-Analysis/rss Fundamental-Analysis https://www.dukascopy.com/swiss/sk/marketwatch/market-news/Fundamental-Analysis/rss The U.S. services sector entered January 2026 with continued momentum, as the ISM® Services PMI® held steady at 53.8 percent, matching December's reading. This marks the 19th straight month of expansion in services and suggests the broader U.S. economy has now been growing for 68 consecutive months. Based on historical relationships, the current PMI level corresponds to an estimated 1.8 Wed, 04 Feb 2026 15:35:07 +0000 https://www.dukascopy.com/swiss/sk/marketwatch/market-news/Fundamental-Analysis/rss Fundamental-Analysis https://www.dukascopy.com/swiss/sk/marketwatch/market-news/Fundamental-Analysis/rss In January 2026, the U.S. manufacturing sector returned to growth, ending a year-long period of contraction. The Manufacturing PMI® rose to 52.6 percent, up 4.7 points from December, signaling expansion in both manufacturing activity and the broader economy. This turnaround was fueled primarily by rising demand and increased production. New orders surged to 57.1 percent, the highest level since February Mon, 02 Feb 2026 15:19:53 +0000 https://www.dukascopy.com/swiss/sk/marketwatch/market-news/Fundamental-Analysis/rss Fundamental-Analysis