Live Forex News
Real-time financial news from around the world.
Published Monday – Friday, 24 hours a day.
New Zealand
New Zealand Stocks Rise, but Set for Weekly Decline
The NZX 50 climbed 38 points, or 0.3%, to 13,104 in Friday morning trade, after falling in the previous session, tracking a rally on Wall Street overnight, with the S&P and Nasdaq hitting record highs amid hopes regarding easing Middle East tensions. Most sectors traded in the green, including energy, consumer staples, and healthcare. Sentiment was also lifted by fresh data showing food inflation eased to its lowest level since February 2025, at 3.4% in March. However, traders are anticipating the country's Q1 inflation and trade data, as well as the Chinese interest rate decision due next week. Among the top performers were Ebos Group (2.0%), Summerset Group (1.2%), A2 Milk (-1.1%), Fisher & Paykel Healthcare (0.6%), and Mainfreight (0.4%). For the week, the index is heading for a 0.6% fall, after rising last week amid the Middle East conflict.
Crypto Updates: XRP Rises by 4.26%
Top crypto gainers are XRP (4.26%), Binance (1.51%) and Bitcoin (0.16%). Biggest loser is Ether (-0.62%).
Agricultural Commodities Updates: Orange Juice Falls by 4.79%
Top commodity losers are Orange Juice (-4.79%), Coffee (-2.56%) and Cocoa (-1.65%). Gains are led by Barley (4%), Wool (2.18%) and Rapeseed (1.37%).
Metals Commodities Updates: Iron Ore CNY Rises by 2.42%
Top commodity gainers are Iron Ore CNY (2.42%), Lithium Carbonate (0.90%) and Gold (0.09%). Biggest losers are Platinum (-0.86%) and Copper (-0.60%).
Energy Commodities Updates: Liquefied Natural Gas Japan Korea Tumbles by 15.98%
Top commodity losers are Liquefied Natural Gas Japan Korea (-15.98%), Methanol (-0.76%) and Ethanol (-0.52%). Gains are led by Brent Crude Oil (3.51%), Gasoline (3.10%), Germany Natural Gas THE (2.51%) and Crude Oil WTI (2.32%).
FX Updates: Indian Rupee Increases by 0.42%
Top currency gainers are Indian Rupee (0.42%), Norwegian Krone (0.36%), Canadian Dollar (0.30%) and Dollar Index (0.11%). Biggest losers are New Zealand Dollar (-0.39%), Swedish Krona (-0.30%), Polish Zloty (-0.27%), British Pound (-0.21%) and Euro (-0.11%). Meanwhile Japanese Yen was little changed.
Brazil
Ibovespa Slides Despite Mideast Ceasefire Prospects
The Ibovespa fell 0.46% to close at 196,819.00 on Thursday, retreating from recent highs despite an extra lift after President Trump announced a 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon. While optimism over reopening the Strait of Hormuz supported sentiment, it wasn't enough to sustain the index. Oil prices rose amid supply uncertainty, significantly boosting Petrobras by 4.39%, but this was offset by broader market weakness. Vale dropped 1.06% and Ambev tumbled 2.59% following a UBS downgrade to Sell, while WEG led the losses with a 3.26% decline. Major banks also struggled, with Itaúsa and Banco do Brasil falling 1.53% and 0.86% respectively. On the data front, the IBC-Br rose 0.6% monthly in February, beating forecasts due to a 1.2% industrial expansion, although the index continues to reflect an annual contraction of 1.3%.
Canada
TSX Edges Lower Despite Middle East Peace Hopes
The S&P/TSX Composite Index fell 0.30% to close at 34,052.23 on Thursday, despite markets getting an extra lift after President Trump announced a 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon and mediators signaled progress on reopening the Strait of Hormuz. While geopolitical optimism grew, oil prices rose amid supply uncertainty, causing energy stocks to extend gains, driven by today's boost in oil prices, with Canadian Natural up 0.92%. Meanwhile, major banks such as TD and BMO traded lower (-0.20% and -0.40%) as the oil rally cooled and stagflation fears eased, and European buyers like Uniper continued exploring Canadian LNG purchases to diversify supply. Elsewhere, gold remained resilient, leaving Agnico Eagle nearly flat (-0.03%), while Canadian Pacific Railway led the broader market declines with a 1.37% drop.
United States
US Stocks Extend Gains
The S&P 500 and Nasdaq hit new record highs Thursday, extending a strong week driven by hopes of easing Iran tensions.The S&P 500 rose 0.3% to new record high, the Nasdaq gained 0.4% to 24,100 while the Dow added 115 points. Markets got an extra lift after President Trump said Israel and Lebanon agreed to a 10-day ceasefire starting at 5 p.m. ET, a move seen as key to potential US-Iran talks. Energy, materials, and real estate led sector gains, while healthcare and consumer discretionary lagged. PepsiCo rose 2.5% after reporting better-than-expected earnings and revenue, while Bank of New York Mellon gained 2% on strong results. In contrast, Charles Schwab fell 7% as its results disappointed, and Abbott Laboratories dropped more than 6% following weak guidance. Finally, Netflix Inc. forecast a weaker-than-expected Q2, sending shares lower, and said co-founder Reed Hastings will step down as chairman after 29 years.
Crypto Updates: XRP Rises by 2.95%
Top crypto gainers are XRP (2.95%) and Binance (1.10%). Biggest losers are Ether (-1.42%) and Bitcoin (-0.57%).
Agricultural Commodities Updates: Orange Juice Falls by 4.69%
Top commodity losers are Orange Juice (-4.69%), Coffee (-2.55%) and Cocoa (-1.66%). Gains are led by Barley (4%), Wool (2.18%) and Rapeseed (1.37%).
Metals Commodities Updates: Iron Ore CNY Rises by 2.42%
Top commodity gainers are Iron Ore CNY (2.42%) and Lithium Carbonate (0.90%). Biggest losers are Platinum (-0.90%) and Silver (-0.72%). Meanwhile Gold was little changed.
Energy Commodities Updates: Brent Crude Oil Gains by 4.46%
Top commodity gainers are Brent Crude Oil (4.46%), Crude Oil WTI (3.69%) and Gasoline (2.63%).
Oil Rises on Iran Deal Delays
WTI crude oil rose as much as 4% to above $95 per barrel as doubts resurfaced over ongoing US–Iran negotiations. It is reported that the peace talks now point to diminished prospects for a broad agreement and opening of the Strait of Hormuz and are now focused on securing a temporary memorandum to avoid renewed conflict. Meanwhile, benchmark prices showed little immediate reaction after President Trump said Israeli and Lebanese leaders had agreed to begin a 10-day ceasefire starting Thursday. Further supporting prices, signs of tightening supply are emerging. After seven consecutive weeks of builds, US crude inventories fell by 9.13 million barrels last week, far exceeding analysts’ expectations for a 154,000-barrel increase, according to the US Energy Information Administration.
United States
J&J Stock Price Hits 10-week Low
J&J shares decreased to 232.23 USD, the lowest since February 2026. Over the past 4 weeks, Johnson & Johnson lost 2.28%, and in the last 12 months, it increased 47.77%.
United States
US 30-Year Mortgage Rates Drop For 2nd Week
US Mortgage rates fell for the second straight week, averaging 6.30% as of April 16, down from 6.37% last week, easing borrowing costs during the peak homebuying season. Rates hit a one-month low amid easing geopolitical fears and a record S&P 500, as strong bank and tech earnings overshadowed Middle East tensions. Refinance activity rose, per the Mortgage Bankers Association, while purchase applications stayed subdued, remaining below year-ago levels for the second week, as buyers remained cautious amid economic uncertainty.
Euro Area
European Stocks Little Changed on Thursday
The Stoxx 50 and Stoxx 600 ended Thursday’s session largely unchanged as investors stayed cautious, closely monitoring developments in peace negotiations between the US and Iran. Sentiment was also influenced late in the European session after President Donald Trump confirmed discussions with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, announcing that Israel and Lebanon had agreed to a 10 day ceasefire set to begin at 5 p.m. ET. On the equity side, Novo Nordisk and SAP rose more than 3%, while Hermès and Siemens added around 1.3% and Shell gained about 1%. In contrast, L’Oréal fell over 2%, and several heavyweight names including ASML, HSBC, Roche, and Novartis edged slightly lower, keeping overall indices broadly flat.
Baltic Dry Index Rises to Over 4-Month High
The Baltic Exchange dry bulk freight index rose 1.6% to 2,523 on Thursday, reaching its highest level since December 9, 2025 and marking a tenth consecutive day of gains. The capesize index, which tracks vessels carrying around 150,000 tons such as iron ore and coal, climbed 1.6% to 4,026, its highest in over four months. The panamax index, covering ships that transport 60,000 to 70,000 tons of coal or grain, increased 1.1% to 1,970, the strongest level since early March. Meanwhile, the supramax index gained nearly 2% to 1,398.
Colombia
Colombia Industrial Output Rebounds 1.4%
Colombia’s industrial production grew 1.4% year-on-year in February 2026, a sharp reversal from the 0.5% decline in January and beating market expectations. The expansion was driven by a stronger performance across sectors, with 20 out of 39 industrial activities posting growth. Significant increases were recorded in motor vehicles (26.0%), petroleum refining (11.9%), beverage manufacturing (7.7%), pharmaceutical products (9.2%), and transport equipment (22.0%). In contrast, several sectors faced challenges, including iron and steel (-20.5%), basic chemicals (-11.6%), coffee threshing (-38.5%), and cacao and chocolate (-21.9%). Meanwhile, retail sales declined 2.5% and industrial employment fell 0.4%, reflecting that while production has regained momentum, consumer demand and labor market recovery still face significant headwinds in the current economic environment.
Colombia
Colombia Retail Sales Beat Expectations in February
Retail sales in Colombia rose 10.9% year-on-year in February 2026, surpassing market expectations of a 9.8% increase and accelerating from 7.8% in January. Growth was broad-based, with all 19 retail categories posting gains. The strongest contributions came from motor vehicles and motorcycles for household use, which surged 26.6%, followed by computer and telecommunications equipment for personal or home use, up 39.2%, and other motor vehicles and motorcycles, which increased 21.7%. In the first two months of the year, retail sales grew by 9.3% compared to the same period a year earlier.
Live Forex News are published 24 hours a day from Monday to Friday and provide fast financial updates from around the world. The news is delivered in near real time so you can easily follow the most important developments in the Forex and stock markets.