Forex News Timeline

Thursday, February 26, 2026

Bank of Japan (BoJ) Governor Kazuo Ueda said on Thursday that the the basic stance is to continue raising interest rates if the likelihood of our economic, price forecasts materialising heightens. 

.fxs-faq-module-wrapper{border:1px solid #dddedf;background:#fff;margin-bottom:32px;width:100%;float:left;font-family:Roboto,sans-serif}.fxs-faq-module-title{color:#1b1c23;font-size:16px;font-style:italic;font-weight:700;line-height:22.4px;text-transform:uppercase;background:#f3f3f8;padding:8px 16px;margin:0}.fxs-faq-module-container{padding:16px;width:100%;box-sizing:border-box;display:flex;flex-direction:column;gap:12px}.fxs-faq-module-section{padding-bottom:16px;border-bottom:1px solid #ececf1;margin-bottom:0}.fxs-faq-module-section:last-child{border:none;margin-bottom:0}.fxs-faq-module-container input[type=checkbox]{display:none}.fxs-faq-module-header{padding:4px 0;background-color:#fff;border:none;position:relative;cursor:pointer;margin:0}.fxs-faq-module-header label{display:block;cursor:pointer}.fxs-faq-module-header label span{display:block;width:calc(100% - 50px)}.fxs-faq-module-header label:after,.fxs-faq-module-header label:before{content:"";position:absolute;top:50%;right:16px;width:8px;height:2px;background-color:#49494f;transition:all .2s ease-in-out;transition-delay:0}.fxs-faq-module-header label:after{transform:rotate(45deg) translateX(-4px)}.fxs-faq-module-header label:before{transform:rotate(-45deg) translateX(4px)}.fxs-faq-module-header label:after,.fxs-faq-module-header label:before{transition:transform .3s ease-in-out}input[type=checkbox]:checked+.fxs-faq-module-section .fxs-faq-module-header label:after{transform:rotate(45deg) translateX(4px)}input[type=checkbox]:checked+.fxs-faq-module-section .fxs-faq-module-header label:before{transform:rotate(-45deg) translateX(-4px)}.fxs-faq-module-content{max-height:0;overflow:hidden;transition:all .3s ease-in-out;color:#49494f;font-weight:300;padding:0;font-size:14.72px;line-height:20px;margin:0}input[type=checkbox]:checked+.fxs-faq-module-section .fxs-faq-module-content{max-height:1000px;margin-top:8px}@media (min-width:680px){.fxs-faq-module-title{font-size:19.2px;line-height:27.2px}.fxs-faq-module-header{font-size:19.2px;line-height:25.92px}.fxs-faq-module-content{font-size:16px;line-height:21.6px}} Bank of Japan (BoJ) Governor Kazuo Ueda said on Thursday that the the basic stance is to continue raising interest rates if the likelihood of our economic, price forecasts materialising heightens. Key quotesOur basic stance is to continue raising interest rates if the likelihood of our economic, price forecasts materialising heightens. 

Underlying inflation has yet to fully hit 2%, will guide policy so underlying inflation hits 2% or we avoid it from exceeding 2% on sustained basis. 

We do not think we are behind the curve in addressing risk of too-high inflation. 

No change from January to our projected timing for hitting price target, expect inflation to re-accelerate from current slowdown. 

If the outcome of Spring wage talks are stronger than expected and prod firms to pass on costs swiftly, there is chance we could achieve price target sooner than expected.

April Tankan is important piece of information but we are conducting various surveys, so it is not as if we must wait until Tankan's release to have sufficient data. 

Bank of Japan will hold policy meetings in March and April, will scrutinize information available by then and reach decision, when asked about growing market views Bank of Japan could hike rates in April. 

Do not expect significant impact from new Trump tariffs on Japan's economy but watching developments carefully. 

Important for government and parliament to ensure market trust in Japan's medium to long term fiscal health. Market reactionAs of writing, the USD/JPY pair is up 0.20% on the day at 156.20. Japanese Yen FAQs What key factors drive the Japanese Yen? The Japanese Yen (JPY) is one of the world’s most traded currencies. Its value is broadly determined by the performance of the Japanese economy, but more specifically by the Bank of Japan’s policy, the differential between Japanese and US bond yields, or risk sentiment among traders, among other factors. How do the decisions of the Bank of Japan impact the Japanese Yen? One of the Bank of Japan’s mandates is currency control, so its moves are key for the Yen. The BoJ has directly intervened in currency markets sometimes, generally to lower the value of the Yen, although it refrains from doing it often due to political concerns of its main trading partners. The BoJ ultra-loose monetary policy between 2013 and 2024 caused the Yen to depreciate against its main currency peers due to an increasing policy divergence between the Bank of Japan and other main central banks. More recently, the gradually unwinding of this ultra-loose policy has given some support to the Yen. How does the differential between Japanese and US bond yields impact the Japanese Yen? Over the last decade, the BoJ’s stance of sticking to ultra-loose monetary policy has led to a widening policy divergence with other central banks, particularly with the US Federal Reserve. This supported a widening of the differential between the 10-year US and Japanese bonds, which favored the US Dollar against the Japanese Yen. The BoJ decision in 2024 to gradually abandon the ultra-loose policy, coupled with interest-rate cuts in other major central banks, is narrowing this differential. How does broader risk sentiment impact the Japanese Yen? The Japanese Yen is often seen as a safe-haven investment. This means that in times of market stress, investors are more likely to put their money in the Japanese currency due to its supposed reliability and stability. Turbulent times are likely to strengthen the Yen’s value against other currencies seen as more risky to invest in.

Gold price (XAU/USD) trades with mild gains near $5,165 during the early Asian session on Thursday. The rally of the precious metal is bolstered by escalating geopolitical tensions between the United States (US) and Iran and ongoing uncertainty regarding US tariff policies.

.fxs-faq-module-wrapper{border:1px solid #dddedf;background:#fff;margin-bottom:32px;width:100%;float:left;font-family:Roboto,sans-serif}.fxs-faq-module-title{color:#1b1c23;font-size:16px;font-style:italic;font-weight:700;line-height:22.4px;text-transform:uppercase;background:#f3f3f8;padding:8px 16px;margin:0}.fxs-faq-module-container{padding:16px;width:100%;box-sizing:border-box;display:flex;flex-direction:column;gap:12px}.fxs-faq-module-section{padding-bottom:16px;border-bottom:1px solid #ececf1;margin-bottom:0}.fxs-faq-module-section:last-child{border:none;margin-bottom:0}.fxs-faq-module-container input[type=checkbox]{display:none}.fxs-faq-module-header{padding:4px 0;background-color:#fff;border:none;position:relative;cursor:pointer;margin:0}.fxs-faq-module-header label{display:block;cursor:pointer}.fxs-faq-module-header label span{display:block;width:calc(100% - 50px)}.fxs-faq-module-header label:after,.fxs-faq-module-header label:before{content:"";position:absolute;top:50%;right:16px;width:8px;height:2px;background-color:#49494f;transition:all .2s ease-in-out;transition-delay:0}.fxs-faq-module-header label:after{transform:rotate(45deg) translateX(-4px)}.fxs-faq-module-header label:before{transform:rotate(-45deg) translateX(4px)}.fxs-faq-module-header label:after,.fxs-faq-module-header label:before{transition:transform .3s ease-in-out}input[type=checkbox]:checked+.fxs-faq-module-section .fxs-faq-module-header label:after{transform:rotate(45deg) translateX(4px)}input[type=checkbox]:checked+.fxs-faq-module-section .fxs-faq-module-header label:before{transform:rotate(-45deg) translateX(-4px)}.fxs-faq-module-content{max-height:0;overflow:hidden;transition:all .3s ease-in-out;color:#49494f;font-weight:300;padding:0;font-size:14.72px;line-height:20px;margin:0}input[type=checkbox]:checked+.fxs-faq-module-section .fxs-faq-module-content{max-height:1000px;margin-top:8px}@media (min-width:680px){.fxs-faq-module-title{font-size:19.2px;line-height:27.2px}.fxs-faq-module-header{font-size:19.2px;line-height:25.92px}.fxs-faq-module-content{font-size:16px;line-height:21.6px}}Gold posts modest gains around $5,165 in Thursday’s early Asian session. Traders will closely monitor the US-Iran nuclear talks on Thursday in Geneva. The US trade representative said US tariffs could rise to 15% or more after the Supreme Court ruling.  Gold price (XAU/USD) trades with mild gains near $5,165 during the early Asian session on Thursday. The rally of the precious metal is bolstered by escalating geopolitical tensions between the United States (US) and Iran and ongoing uncertainty regarding US tariff policies. All eyes will be on the US Producer Price Index (PPI) report for January, which is due on Friday. US President Donald Trump last week threatened to attack Iran if negotiations fail. Meanwhile, tens of thousands of US service members are at risk after Iran said that all US military bases in the Mideast would be considered legitimate targets. Fears that an attack could spiral into a new regional war could boost a traditional safe-haven asset such as Gold.Traders will closely monitor the developments surrounding the US-Iran talks. Two countries are expected to meet for a further round of talks in Geneva on Thursday.The US trade representative, Jamieson Greer, said on Wednesday that the US tariff rate for some countries will go up to 15% or higher from the newly imposed 10% without naming any specific trading partners or other details.Trump suffered a defeat at the hands of the US Supreme Court last week, which struck down his sweeping “liberation day” tariffs imposed last year. But in response, Donald Trump announced imposing a 10% global tariff and raising the level to 15%. US tariff uncertainty might contribute to the yellow metal’s upside. The attention will shift to the US January PPI data on Friday, as it could offer more clues about the US interest rate path. The headline PPI is expected to show an increase of 2.6% YoY in January, while the core PPI is projected to show a rise of 3.0% during the same period. Any signs of hotter inflation in the US could lift the US Dollar (USD) and weigh on the USD-denominated commodity price in the near term.  Gold FAQs Why do people invest in Gold? Gold has played a key role in human’s history as it has been widely used as a store of value and medium of exchange. Currently, apart from its shine and usage for jewelry, the precious metal is widely seen as a safe-haven asset, meaning that it is considered a good investment during turbulent times. Gold is also widely seen as a hedge against inflation and against depreciating currencies as it doesn’t rely on any specific issuer or government. Who buys the most Gold? Central banks are the biggest Gold holders. In their aim to support their currencies in turbulent times, central banks tend to diversify their reserves and buy Gold to improve the perceived strength of the economy and the currency. High Gold reserves can be a source of trust for a country’s solvency. Central banks added 1,136 tonnes of Gold worth around $70 billion to their reserves in 2022, according to data from the World Gold Council. This is the highest yearly purchase since records began. Central banks from emerging economies such as China, India and Turkey are quickly increasing their Gold reserves. How is Gold correlated with other assets? Gold has an inverse correlation with the US Dollar and US Treasuries, which are both major reserve and safe-haven assets. When the Dollar depreciates, Gold tends to rise, enabling investors and central banks to diversify their assets in turbulent times. Gold is also inversely correlated with risk assets. A rally in the stock market tends to weaken Gold price, while sell-offs in riskier markets tend to favor the precious metal. What does the price of Gold depend on? The price can move due to a wide range of factors. Geopolitical instability or fears of a deep recession can quickly make Gold price escalate due to its safe-haven status. As a yield-less asset, Gold tends to rise with lower interest rates, while higher cost of money usually weighs down on the yellow metal. Still, most moves depend on how the US Dollar (USD) behaves as the asset is priced in dollars (XAU/USD). A strong Dollar tends to keep the price of Gold controlled, whereas a weaker Dollar is likely to push Gold prices up.

Brown Brothers Harriman’s (BBH) Elias Haddad reports USD/THB has bounced from key support at 31.00 after the Bank of Thailand unexpectedly delivered a second consecutive 25 bps rate cut to 1.00%.

Brown Brothers Harriman’s (BBH) Elias Haddad reports USD/THB has bounced from key support at 31.00 after the Bank of Thailand unexpectedly delivered a second consecutive 25 bps rate cut to 1.00%. While policymakers voiced concern about Baht appreciation and exporters’ conditions, BBH notes Thailand’s positive real rates and solid external backdrop still support an underlying THB uptrend.Surprise easing but THB trend intact"USD/THB bounced off key support at 31.00. Bank of Thailand (BOT) unexpectedly delivered a back-to-back 25bps policy rate cut to 1.00% (no change was expected). The BOT Committee voted 4 to 2 to cut the policy rate by 25bps. Two members voted to maintain the policy rate at 1.25%.""Importantly, the Committee expressed “concern over signs of exchange rate misalignment from economic fundamentals,” adding that the “appreciation of Thai baht has tightened financial conditions for exporters, particularly for products facing intense price competition and low profit margins”. Nevertheless, Thailand’s relatively high positive real rates and favorable balance of payments backdrop continue to underpin the uptrend in THB."(This article was created with the help of an Artificial Intelligence tool and reviewed by an editor.)

The AUD/JPY rallies over 1.20% on Wednesday, after an inflation report in Australia prompted investors to price additional rate hikes by the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA). At the time of writing, the cross trades at 111.38.

.fxs-faq-module-wrapper{border:1px solid #dddedf;background:#fff;margin-bottom:32px;width:100%;float:left;font-family:Roboto,sans-serif}.fxs-faq-module-title{color:#1b1c23;font-size:16px;font-style:italic;font-weight:700;line-height:22.4px;text-transform:uppercase;background:#f3f3f8;padding:8px 16px;margin:0}.fxs-faq-module-container{padding:16px;width:100%;box-sizing:border-box;display:flex;flex-direction:column;gap:12px}.fxs-faq-module-section{padding-bottom:16px;border-bottom:1px solid #ececf1;margin-bottom:0}.fxs-faq-module-section:last-child{border:none;margin-bottom:0}.fxs-faq-module-container input[type=checkbox]{display:none}.fxs-faq-module-header{padding:4px 0;background-color:#fff;border:none;position:relative;cursor:pointer;margin:0}.fxs-faq-module-header label{display:block;cursor:pointer}.fxs-faq-module-header label span{display:block;width:calc(100% - 50px)}.fxs-faq-module-header label:after,.fxs-faq-module-header label:before{content:"";position:absolute;top:50%;right:16px;width:8px;height:2px;background-color:#49494f;transition:all .2s ease-in-out;transition-delay:0}.fxs-faq-module-header label:after{transform:rotate(45deg) translateX(-4px)}.fxs-faq-module-header label:before{transform:rotate(-45deg) translateX(4px)}.fxs-faq-module-header label:after,.fxs-faq-module-header label:before{transition:transform .3s ease-in-out}input[type=checkbox]:checked+.fxs-faq-module-section .fxs-faq-module-header label:after{transform:rotate(45deg) translateX(4px)}input[type=checkbox]:checked+.fxs-faq-module-section .fxs-faq-module-header label:before{transform:rotate(-45deg) translateX(-4px)}.fxs-faq-module-content{max-height:0;overflow:hidden;transition:all .3s ease-in-out;color:#49494f;font-weight:300;padding:0;font-size:14.72px;line-height:20px;margin:0}input[type=checkbox]:checked+.fxs-faq-module-section .fxs-faq-module-content{max-height:1000px;margin-top:8px}@media (min-width:680px){.fxs-faq-module-title{font-size:19.2px;line-height:27.2px}.fxs-faq-module-header{font-size:19.2px;line-height:25.92px}.fxs-faq-module-content{font-size:16px;line-height:21.6px}}AUD/JPY clears 111.00 as markets price further RBA tightening following firm inflation data.RSI enters overbought territory, underscoring strong bullish momentum and sustained upside pressure.Break above 111.47 exposes 112.00 next, with 113.00 emerging as extension target.The AUD/JPY rallies over 1.20% on Wednesday, after an inflation report in Australia prompted investors to price additional rate hikes by the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA). At the time of writing, the cross trades at 111.38.AUD/JPY Price Forecast: Technical outlookFrom the technical standpoint, the AUD/JPY looks bullish after clearing previous yearly high of 110.79 and clearing the 111.00 milestone. The Relative Strength Index (RSI) shows that bulls are gathering steam as the index cleared the 70 — usually seen as an overbought level, but due to the strength of the trend, the most extreme area sought by traders would be the 80 mark.If AUD/JPY clears the yearly high of 111.47, this clears the path to test the 112.00 mark. The Average True Range (ATR) is 111 pips. Hence, if the cross finishes the session at current levels, if the ATR fulfills, the next key resistance is 112.49, followed by the 113.00 milestone.Should the AUD/JPY retreats below 111.00 it opens the door to test the February 10 cycle high of 110.67, followed by the 20-day Simple Moving Average (SMA) at 109.34. On further weakness, the next stop would be a key support trendline drawn from November 2025 lows, at around 108.00.AUD/JPY Price Chart – DailyAUD/JPY Daily Chart Japanese Yen FAQs What key factors drive the Japanese Yen? The Japanese Yen (JPY) is one of the world’s most traded currencies. Its value is broadly determined by the performance of the Japanese economy, but more specifically by the Bank of Japan’s policy, the differential between Japanese and US bond yields, or risk sentiment among traders, among other factors. How do the decisions of the Bank of Japan impact the Japanese Yen? One of the Bank of Japan’s mandates is currency control, so its moves are key for the Yen. The BoJ has directly intervened in currency markets sometimes, generally to lower the value of the Yen, although it refrains from doing it often due to political concerns of its main trading partners. The BoJ ultra-loose monetary policy between 2013 and 2024 caused the Yen to depreciate against its main currency peers due to an increasing policy divergence between the Bank of Japan and other main central banks. More recently, the gradually unwinding of this ultra-loose policy has given some support to the Yen. How does the differential between Japanese and US bond yields impact the Japanese Yen? Over the last decade, the BoJ’s stance of sticking to ultra-loose monetary policy has led to a widening policy divergence with other central banks, particularly with the US Federal Reserve. This supported a widening of the differential between the 10-year US and Japanese bonds, which favored the US Dollar against the Japanese Yen. The BoJ decision in 2024 to gradually abandon the ultra-loose policy, coupled with interest-rate cuts in other major central banks, is narrowing this differential. How does broader risk sentiment impact the Japanese Yen? The Japanese Yen is often seen as a safe-haven investment. This means that in times of market stress, investors are more likely to put their money in the Japanese currency due to its supposed reliability and stability. Turbulent times are likely to strengthen the Yen’s value against other currencies seen as more risky to invest in.

TD Securities analysts expect Premier Li to unveil a 4.5–5.0% GDP target range for 2026 at the Two Sessions, alongside a broad budget deficit near 9% of GDP. Policymakers are seen prioritizing domestic demand, with continued targeted consumer stimulus.

TD Securities analysts expect Premier Li to unveil a 4.5–5.0% GDP target range for 2026 at the Two Sessions, alongside a broad budget deficit near 9% of GDP. Policymakers are seen prioritizing domestic demand, with continued targeted consumer stimulus.Domestic demand at policy forefront"Premier Li is likely to announce a 4.5-5.0% GDP target range for 2026 and a broad budget deficit equivalent to 9% of GDP, retaining an accommodative fiscal stance.""In 2026, we expect policymakers to formulate and implement policies with a focus on boosting domestic demand.""Boosting domestic demand would encompass both consumption-led and investment-focused policies, especially given the slump in Fixed-Asset Investment (FAI) in the H2'25.""Policymakers see the need to diversify its economic engine towards consumption, albeit at a gradual pace.""We expect the targeted consumer stimulus, consumer trade-in program, to continue in 2026."(This article was created with the help of an Artificial Intelligence tool and reviewed by an editor.)
Scroll Top
Risk warning: Trading is risky. Your capital is at risk. Exinity Limited is regulated by FSC (Mauritius).