• Shares of Austral Resources Australia rise as much as 10.3% to A$0.075, biggest intraday pct gain since May 13

• Stock touches its highest level since June 24

• Stock on course for a fourth consecutive session of gains, if current trend holds

• Austral says QIC Queensland Critical Minerals Fund (QCMF) invests A$15 million ($10.54 million) in the copper-cathode producer

• Says funding to support expansion of company's Rocklands processing facility, its flagship copper mine

• YTD, stock up 26.3%, including day's moves

($1 = 1.4231 Australian dollars)

(Reporting by Aamir Sheik Khalid in Bengaluru)

• AUD/USD flat Fri, markets cautious ahead of key U.S. employment data update

• U.S. Jul non-farm payrolls (poll +80k) and unemployment (poll 4.2%) due Fri

• Doubt builds on Middle East peace deal, Brent crude back above $80 a barrel

• Iran considers ban for U.S. & Israeli vessels in Strait of Hormuz

• Houthis claiming 'large-scale' ballistic missile & drone attacks in Yemen

• AUD struggling to extend recent upswing, risks break below 0.7014 55-DMA

• Range Asia 0.7025-332 support 0.6920 0.6866, resistance 0.70885 0.7200
AUD Hourly Bollinger Study & DXY Daily 55-DMA

(James Connell is a Reuters market analyst. The views expressed are his own.)

• USD/JPY up leg on crude oil price rise on Iran uncertainty, broad USD gains

• Could be wrong move depending on US payrolls/jobs report, USD lower if weak?

• Expectations currently for NFP +80K, unemployment at 4.2%

• USD/JPY 158.39-49 EBS in Asia so far after 157.57 to 158.55 rally yesterday

• Interesting that move up on to 158 handle took place after Tokyo close

• Nervousness still over possible Japan FX intervention but fading a bit

• USD/JPY back above 200-DMA at 158.07, towards 158.92-161.28 daily Ichi cloud

• Now well above 157.40-60 hourly Ichi cloud, near 158.39 tenkan, kijun 158.06

• JGB-US Treasury rate differentials at recent narrows, in 2s around 263 bps

• Option expiries today 158.00 $765 mln, 158.25-50 $623 mln, 159.00 $557 mln

• Related comments , , ,

• And , , also

• US markets , , ,

• On Japan April-May FX action , for more click on [FXBUZ]

USD/JPY daily:


USD/JPY hourly:

(Haruya Ida is a Reuters market analyst. The views expressed are his own)

• NZD/USD -0.3% from Thur 0.58845 high as oil spikes amid Middle East concerns

• Houthis claiming 'large-scale' ballistic missile & drone attacks in Yemen

• Iran considers Strait of Hormuz ban for U.S. & Iran ships; WTI +4.0%

• Market turns focus to U.S. Jul non-farm payrolls due Fri (poll +80k)

• NZD in danger of 0.5850 break, stop-loss selling below may amplify move

• Range NZ 0.58679-725, support 0.5850 0.5627, resistance 0.5990-95 0.60925
NZD Daily 55-DMA

(James Connell is a Reuters market analyst. The views expressed are his own.)

Goldman Sachs Research previews the US July jobs report due on Friday.

"We expect a 75k increase in payrolls in July. We expect a small further boost from World Cup hiring, which only began to unwind after the July reference period. On the negative side, payrolls have missed consensus expectations in July in recent years, and there have also been large negative revisions to job growth for prior months," GS notes.

"We expect the unemployment rate to rebound 0.1pp to 4.3%, in part because of modest upward pressure from compositional effects related to the reversal of June’s large decline in participation. We forecast a 0.3% increase in average hourly earnings, reflecting neutral calendar effects. Wage growth appears to have stabilized in the mid-3s, where our wage tracker and wage survey leading indicator have roughly converged," GS adds.

MUFG Research discusses the latest wave of yen buying intervention.

" The OTC FX margin retail positioning data for June ahead of the intervention revealed a swing from yen shorts against all currencies reported combined to yen long. The yen long position was the largest since October 2023. The primary currency pair explaining this shift on a combined basis was in fact USD/JPY. The USD/JPY short position increased in June to a record total. The implied short USD/JPY position was USD 17.65bn which as can be seen historically is an extreme position and by some distance a record. The position is larger than the probable total size of the intervention undertaken last week," MUFG notes.

"It would imply that USD/JPY grinding higher throughout June incentivised retail margin traders to build USD/JPY short positions further in anticipation of eventual intervention. The May position was also short but considerably smaller. We can also assume that following intervention Japanese retail traders were quick to liquidate and were likely active buyers given the historic short position that was in place.

So Japan’s retail sector was likely a key buyer of USD/JPY on the decline during intervention, curtailing some of the impact of the MoF’s record yen buying intervention," MUFG adds.

• AUD/USD -0.4% from Thur 0.7060 high as Middle East peace hopes begin to fade

• Iran's parliament reviewing bill that bans U.S. & Israel vessels from Hormuz

• Houthis stepping up attacks against in Yemen; Brent crude +4.5%

• U.S. initial jobless claims 199k (poll 202k), Jul NFP due Fri (poll +80k)

• AUD 0.7088 resistance looks safe for now, drift toward 0.7014 55-DMA likely

• Overnight range 0.7023-445 support 0.6920 0.6866, resistance 0.70885 0.7200
AUD Daily 55-DMA

(James Connell is a Reuters market analyst. The views expressed are his own.)

• GBP$ soft in NY afternoon, -0.11% at 1.3455; NorAm range 1.3479-1.3451

• Summer doldrums linger, in-court US initial jobless claims shrugged off; gilt yields higher

• Oil rises as Mideast tensions escalate, UST yields rise aids USD lift

• Friday's NFP in focus, IJC hints payrolls likely a touch higher; focus to shift to UK, US CPI

• GBP$ res 1.3486 Wednesday high, 1.3505 daily high July 15, 1.3534 upper 30-d Bolli

• Supt 1.3418 daily low Aug 3, 1.3403 flat 200-DMA, 1.3348 50% Fib of 1.3140- 1.3556

GBP Chart:


(Paul.Spirgel is a Reuters market analyst. The views expressed are his own)

• NY opened near 1.1540 after 1.1560 traded overnight, choppy trade in early NY

• Bears eventually took over as USD was bought, US yields

rallied

• Soured risk sentiment gave an added boost to the USD buying theme

• Gold, silver, stocks fell & USD/CNH gained due to risk-off trading

• EUR/USD fell to 1.1515, sat nearby late, traded down -0.29% in NY's afternoon

• Techs are mixed; RSIs falling but pair above 10-, 21- & 55-DMAs

• Ongoing consolidation of gains off the July 28 low is a bullish signal

• US June payroll report in focus, may be the catalyst for the next directional move
eurusd


(Christopher Romano is a Reuters market analyst. The views expressed are his own)

ANZ Research adopts a mildly negative bias on GBP/USD in the near-term.

"The BoE kept the Bank Rate unchanged at 3.75%, in line with expectations. However, the voting split turned more hawkish, with three MPC members voting for a 25bp hike compared with two at the June meeting. Catherine Mann joined Megan Greene and Huw Pill in voting for tighter policy, reflecting concerns that higher energy prices could generate more persistent inflation and increase the risk of second-round effects. Recent inflation data have been somewhat more benign than expected. As a result, market expectations for close to two rate hikes by yearend 2026 appear excessive in our view," ANZ notes.

"Overall, we remain mildly negative on the GBP/USD and see 1.333 as the next key support level. Options markets also appear to offer an attractive opportunity to position for higher volatility. Despite risks stemming from ongoing geopolitical uncertainty, 1-month and 2-month at-the-money implied volatility recently fell to its lowest level in 10 years. We do not expect volatility to remain at such depressed levels and see value in buying downside GBP protection through put structures," ANZ adds.

• NY opened near 0.7045 after 0.7060 traded overnight, selling took hold

• Broad-based USD buying & rally in US yields weighed on AUD/USD

• USD got an added boost from gold, silver, copper, equity drops & USD/CNH gains

• AUD/UD fell to 0.7023, it neared 0.7035 late, traded down -0.35% in NY's afternoon

• Techs lean bullish; monthly RSI rising, pair above 10-, 21-, 55- & 200-DMAs

• US July payrolls report Friday is a key risk for investors
audusd


(Christopher Romano is a Reuters market analyst. The views expressed are his own)

Bank of America Global Research previews the US July jobs report due on Friday.

"July payrolls: We expect payrolls to rise by a below-consensus (but still firm) 80k in July (private: 95k), up from 57k in June. Benign claims data and steady labor market indicators point to continued job growth, though we see some downside risks from summer hiring distortions, softer recent ADP readings, and a potential reversal in local gov't hiring. We expect the u-rate to round up to 4.3% as participation rebounds, though strong household employment could keep it at 4.2%," BofA notes.

"A report in line with our forecast would reinforce the view that downside risks to the labor market have largely faded, supporting our call for three hikes this year," BofA adds.

Despite recent challenges, sterling continues to show resilience against the U.S. dollar, holding firm near the 1.35 level. This robust performance comes as traders navigate a complex landscape of geopolitical uncertainty and upcoming economic data, particularly Friday's U.S. payrolls report.

Cable remains relatively well-bid, with support in the low 1.34s holding for now as markets await geopolitical news — most notably a possible Hormuz deal — which could have downstream effects on oil prices and global inflation expectations. Thursday's U.S. initial jobless claims data had a muted impact on FX and fixed income markets, suggesting the payroll figures may not immediately clarify the inflation outlook for the second half of 2026. With summer liquidity remaining light, GBP/USD traders are likely to shift their focus quickly to the U.S. and UK consumer price index reports scheduled for release on August 12 and August 19, respectively. However, similar liquidity and data-related constraints could also limit the market's reaction to those releases, potentially keeping GBP/USD anchored near current levels.

From a technical perspective, GBP/USD finds support at 1.3418, the August 3 low, and 1.3403, the flat 200-DMA. A close below 1.3400 big-figure support is likely to have bears target the July 28 low at 1.3276. On the upside, bulls need a close above the August 3 high at 1.3505 and the July 15 high at 1.3556 to add to momentum and rally toward early-May highs near 1.3650.
GBP Chart:


(Paul Spirgel is a Reuters market analyst. The views expressed are his own)

Credit Agricole CIB Research discusses the latest wave of yen buying intervention.

"Relative to the 1998 and 2011 joint interventions, the misvaluations in USD/JPY and EUR/JPY are less extreme currently, so the present joint intervention has started from a weaker point. The effects of the joint interventions in 1998 and 2011 faded after a few months as fundamentals took back control of FX markets. Likewise, if the fundamentals do not shift for the JPY, its current intervention gains could also fade," CACIB notes.

 "Without Japan’s leveraging of USTs, the combined US-Japanese reserves available for intervention represent less than three-quarters of the daily turnover in spot JPY, well below the levels of 1998 and 2011. With Japan making use of its USTs, this ratio rises to a more substantial 2.7 times, more than 1998 but still slightly less than 2011...We continue to forecast USD/JPY to average 162 in Q3 and 163 in Q4," CACIB adds.

• EUR/USD hit a fresh 1-1/2-month high, 1.1560 traded, sellers then emerged

• The pair turned lower, 1.1537 traded in Europe, NY opened near 1.1545, down -0.08%

• Firm US yields , USD buying & USD/CNH rally to 6.7518 weighed

• Daily RSI diverged on the high, could be a warning sign for EUR/UD bulls

• Rising monthly RSI, pair's hold above 10-, 21- & 55-DMAs are bull signs however

• US jobless claims, Q2 unit labor costs are data risks in NY's morning

• Investors more likely focused on tomorrow's July US payroll report though
eurusd


(Christopher Romano is a Reuters market analyst. The views expressed are his own)

• AUD/USD hit 0.7060 overnight, sellers emerged, the pair turned lower

• USD buying, firm US yields , USD/CNH gains weighed on the pair

• 0.7037 traded in Europe, NY opened near 0.7045, pair was down -0.20% early

• Daily RSI turned down & AUD/UD held below the 50% Fib of 0.7277-0.6867

• Rising monthly RSI, monthly long legge doji gives bulls some confidence

• AUD/USD hold above 10-, 21-, 55- & 200-DMAs reinfoce bulls' confidence

• US jobless claims, Q2 unit labor costs are data risks in NY's morning

• The US July payroll report due Friday remains a key risk for investors
audusd


(Christopher Romano is a Reuters market analyst. The views expressed are his own)

• Cable holds a neutral tone amid no fresh catalysts, keeping ranges tight

• Expect continued consolidation in lead up to Friday's payrolls, which will be the big driver for the next leg

• Risk-on sentiment has helped GBP lock in most of its recent upside

• However, conviction for a further breakout higher remains limited

• Levels to watch - Resistance: 1.3500, then 1.3550-56, while initial support sits at 1.3400
GBP daily


Justin McQueen is a Reuters market analyst. (The views expressed are his own). ((Email: ))

• Yen and dollar drift on Iran deal concerns, payroll jitters

• USD/JPY has seen a tight 157.57-157.85 range, on Thursday, according to EBS data

• Nervousness over more FX intervention fading a bit but still seen as possible

• The recent price action hints at a downside rejection at least in the near-term

• There is scope for a bigger USD/JPY recovery to eventually test the 158.56 Fibo

• 158.56 Fibo is a 38.2% retrace of the recent 163.99-155.20 intervention fueled slump

• USD/JPY and EUR/JPY tend to move in tandem, log correlations are high above +0.5

Daily Chart


(Martin Miller is a Reuters market analyst. The views expressed are his own)

• FX options expire at 10-am New York/1400 GMT on Thursday 6 August

• EUR/USD: 1.1445-50 (1.71BLN), 1.1465 (446M), 1.1480-90 (1.41BLN)

• 1.1495-05 (1.5BLN), 1.1510-20 (1.14BLN), 1.1525-35 (1.3BLN)

• 1.1540-45 (751M), 1.1550-60 (2.5BLN), 1.1565-75 (2.5BLN

• 1.1580-85 (260M), 1.1595-00 (680M), 1.1615 (258M)

• USD/JPY: 157.00 (1.43BLN), 157.45-50 (1.94BLN), 157.75 (1.81BLN)

• 158.00 (226M), 158.50 (496M), 158.95-00 (714M)(Peter Stoneham is a Reuters market analyst. The views expressed are his own)

• EUR/USD 1.1544-59 range on Thursday

• The top of the daily Ichimoku cloud is 1.1561

• The 100-DMA is 1.1569, peak 20-day Bollingers 1.1571

• There is scope for a bigger rise and traders are short

• Likely to see stops triggered above cloud and 100-DMA

•
EURUSD


(Jeremy Boulton is a Reuters market analyst. The views expressed are his own)

• GBP/USD steady in Asia after closing 0.1% higher on Wednesday

• Narrow ranges prevail as traders await fresh cues

• Cautious optimism over Iran peace deal, buoyant risk appetite support GBP

• Brent crude holds below $80, U.S. yields soften, underpin GBP

• Sep Fed hike odds fall to 55% from 68% Mon, 82% before July 29 Fed

• Focus shifts to U.S. July jobs data on Fri, key for Fed rate expectations

• GBP/JPY consolidates after 4.2% drop from last week's high

• Japan's intervention strategy assessed as clamour for BOJ rate hike grows

• Resistance 1.3500-10, 1.3535-40; support 1.3420-25, 1.3390-1.3400

• Wednesday range 1.34485-1.3486, Asia 1.3461-1.34715
GBP:

(Krishna Kumar is a Reuters market analyst. The views expressed are his own.)

• USD/JPY 157.57-76 EBS, EUR/JPY 182.15-31 EBS, CHF/JPY 195.15-16

• GBP/JPY 212.14-48, AUD/JPY 111.12-34, NZD/JPY 92.70-92

• All at or near retracement highs following FX intervention last week

• On follow-up JPY buying Monday on Bessent-speak, BOJ hike expectations

• Nervousness over more FX intervention fading a bit but still seen possible

• Market now seems to be waiting for US jobs report Friday, more Mideast news

• Narrower JGB-US Treasury rate differentials to help cap USD/JPY for now

• Massive nearby option expiries today to help contain spot action too?

• USD/JPY 157.00 $1.4 bln, 157.45-50 $1.9 bln, 157.75 $1.8 bln

• Smattering of other JPY cross option expiries too today but out of range

• Related comments , , also

• On flows , , for more click on [FXBUZ]

USD/JPY hourly:


USD/JPY nearby option expiries into next week:


JGB-US Treasury 2-year interest rate differential - hourly:

(Haruya Ida is a Reuters market analyst. The views expressed are his own)

(Corrects month in headline and 2nd bullet)

• AUD/USD flat Thur, trading subdued despite renewed uplift in metals prices

• AU June balance on goods 1.9 bln surplus (poll -1.1 bln), exports +9.6%

• Gold +1.1%, Copper +0.3%, WTI +0.8% Thur amid Strait of Hormuz reopen hopes

• AUD 0.7088 resistance looming, break above would reinvigorate recent upswing

• U.S. initial jobless claims due Thur, followed by Jul NFP on Fri (poll +80k)

• Range Asia 0.7053-60 support 0.6920 0.6866, resistance 0.70885 0.7200
AUD Hourly Bollinger Study & DXY Daily 55-DMA

(James Connell is a Reuters market analyst. The views expressed are his own.)

• USD/THB opens lower, slide in USD and oil prices weigh

• Pair traded 33.09-33.18 range in NY, closed at 33.13

• Support at 33.0 eyed, break risks 32.80, 32.50

• Rally in gold prices may add to selling pressure in pair; spot last $4289/oz

• Base of 21days BB and fear of agents buying likely to limit falls

• USD falls ahead of US payrolls, DXY last 99.66, ranged 99.63-90 overnight

• Optimism on Iran talks weigh on the dollar

• Brent crude last at $79.25/bbl, WTI at $74.88/bbl

• UST yields sideways, 2yr at 4.19%, 10yr at 4.61%

• Stocks mixed with Nasdaq down
THB

(Catherine Tan is a Reuters market analyst. The views expressed are her own.)