Live Forex News
Real-time financial news from around the world.
Published Monday – Friday, 24 hours a day.
New Zealand
NZX 50 Drops but Set for Weekly Gain
New Zealand's stocks fell 54 points, or 0.4%, to 13,741 in Friday morning trade, as traders took profits after the index hit a record high a day earlier. The broader index tracked a decline on Wall Street overnight amid disappointing economic data and renewed doubts over AI spending. Persistently high oil prices also pressured sentiment as inflation concerns fueled expectations of further interest rate hikes. Caution also prevailed ahead of the Fed's monetary policy decision and China's PMI data due next week. Traders also anticipated the release of New Zealand's consumer confidence and business outlook data for June, also due next week. Energy, financials, communication services, healthcare, and consumer discretionary stocks mainly weighed on the index, with notable losses from Infratil (-0.8%), Fisher & Paykel (-0.6%), Hallenstein Glasson (-0.6%), Westpac Banking Corp. (-0.5%), and Freightways (-0.4%). For the week, the index is heading for a 0.3% rise after falling last week.
Crypto Updates: Ether Drops by 2.64%
Top crypto losers are Ether (-2.64%) and Bitcoin (-1.43%).
Agricultural Commodities Updates: Palm Oil Gains by 1.90%
Top commodity gainers are Palm Oil (1.90%), Canola (1.41%) and Rapeseed (1.12%). Biggest loser is Coffee (-1.85%).
Metals Commodities Updates: Silver Falls by 3.41%
Top commodity losers are Silver (-3.41%), Platinum (-2.69%), Copper (-2.41%) and Gold (-1.95%). Gains are led by Lithium Carbonate (2.45%), Iron Ore CNY (1.08%) and Silicon (0.67%).
Energy Commodities Updates: Brent Crude Oil Spikes by 6.87%
Top commodity gainers are Brent Crude Oil (6.87%), Crude Oil WTI (6.20%) and Heating Oil (5.03%). Biggest losers are Natural gas (-0.99%), Liquefied Natural Gas Japan Korea (-0.80%) and Germany Natural Gas THE (-0.70%).
FX Updates: New Zealand Dollar Drops by 0.72%
Top currency losers are New Zealand Dollar (-0.72%), Mexican Peso (-0.71%), Swedish Krona (-0.61%), British Pound (-0.46%), Japanese Yen (-0.42%) and Euro (-0.30%). Gains are led by Dollar Index (0.31%).
Brazil
Ibovespa Slips as Middle East Tensions Weigh
The Ibovespa fell 0.5% to close at 176,724 on Thursday as escalating Middle East tensions weighed on sentiment. Oil prices surged after renewed attacks heightened concerns over global energy supplies, reigniting inflation fears and reinforcing expectations that interest rates could remain higher for longer. Financials led the losses, with Itaú down 0.8%, Bradesco shedding 1.3%, Itaúsa losing 0.6%, and Banco do Brasil retreating 0.8%. Utilities also traded lower, with Axia down 0.6% and Sabesp falling 1%. WEG slipped 2.3% after soaring 10% in the previous session on strong operating margins and return on invested capital. Other notable laggards included Ambev (-1.3%), Rede D'Or (-2.4%), and Embraer (-0.5%). In contrast, Petrobras gained 0.9%, supported by higher oil prices.
Canada
TSX Drops on Middle East Tensions
The S&P/TSX Composite Index lost 0.8% to close at 35,193 on Thursday as strong corporate earnings outweighed pressure from escalating Middle East tensions and renewed concerns over AI spending. Oil prices surged after fresh strikes near the Strait of Hormuz heightened fears of supply disruptions, fueling inflation concerns and reinforcing expectations of hawkish central banks. Banks traded lower, with RBC down 1.4%, TD Bank retreating 1.7%, and BMO losing 1.3%. Gold prices slipped, weighing on miners. Agnico Eagle shed 1.7%, Barrick lost 0.9%, and WPM retreated 1.1%. Tech stocks also weakened after Big Tech earnings revived concerns over heavy AI-related capital spending. Shopify fell 5.4%, while Constellation Software dropped 1.4%. Meanwhile, Waste Connections (+0.1%), Mullen (+4.7%), and Teck Resources (+3.9%) advanced after beating profit estimates. Elsewhere, First Quantum slipped 0.4% as Panama considers partnering with the company to reopen the Cobre Panama mine.
United States
US Stocks Fall Sharply
US stocks closed lower on Thursday amid deteriorating macroeconomic backdrop and renewed doubts over AI spending. The S&P 500 dropped 1.2%, the Nasdaq 100 lost 1.9%, and the Dow Jones shed 507 points. Communication services and consumer discretionary were by far the worst performing sectors while tech was also under pressure. Despite solid earnings, Alphabet fell 6.9% after raising its capital spending forecast, while Tesla tumbled 14.5% as profit declined despite strong electric-vehicle deliveries. Other hyperscalers also weakened, with Nvidia (-1.6%), Microsoft (-2.2%), Meta (-3.4%), Amazon (-4.6%), Broadcom (-1.1%) and Oracle (-4.6%) posting losses. Treasury yields rose as tighter naval blockades in the Middle East raised energy supply concerns and initial jobless claims fell to a 57-year low. Goldman Sachs shed 2.1%, while Visa fell 0.5%. Comcast lost 6.8% after reporting a declined in profits, while RTX added 7.3% after beating expectations.
Argentina
Argentina Retail Sales Jump in May
Argentina's retail sales rose 33.1% year-on-year to ARS 670.2 billion in May 2026, up from 11.9% in April and marking a one-year high. The strongest growth was recorded in furniture, home decoration and household textiles (58.3%), followed by perfumery and pharmacies (46.9%), sporting goods (46.0%), and food courts, food stores and kiosks (40.3%). Sales also increased for toys (33.9%), bookstores and stationery (33.9%), clothing, footwear and leather goods (30.5%), and entertainment (20.5%). In contrast, electronics, home appliances and computers posted the weakest growth, rising 9.1% from a year earlier. By region, retail sales in the City of Buenos Aires increased 37.7%. In the 24 districts of Greater Buenos Aires, sales were up 33.1% Meanwhile, sales in the Pampeana Region grew 28.4%. Sales in the Cuyo Region rose 29.8%. Finally, the Northern Region and Patagonia rose 29.5% and 34.9%, respectively.
Crude Oil Soars
Crude oil surged more than 6% to trade above $92 per barrel on Thursday, extending gains for a fifth consecutive session and reaching its highest level since early June as escalating hostilities in the Middle East heightened concerns over global supply disruptions. US President Trump warned that the US would hold Iran responsible for any future Houthi attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea, threatening Tehran and the Yemen-based militants with "major military punishment." He also said he was "considering a massive attack" against Iran. The comments followed Houthi attacks on two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea, which the group said were intended to enforce a newly announced blockade of Saudi ports. Oil prices have now climbed more than 30% from the pre-conflict levels seen earlier this month. Adding to supply concerns, Kazakhstan's decision to suspend crude exports through the Caspian Pipeline Consortium terminal following drone attacks further tightened the market outlook.
Crypto Updates: Ether Drops by 2.85%
Top crypto losers are Ether (-2.85%) and Bitcoin (-2.06%).
Agricultural Commodities Updates: Oat Drops by 2.06%
Top commodity loser is Oat (-2.06%). Gains are led by Palm Oil (1.90%), Canola (1.66%) and Rapeseed (1.17%).
Metals Commodities Updates: Silver Falls by 3.84%
Top commodity losers are Silver (-3.84%), Platinum (-3.27%), Copper (-2.70%) and Gold (-2.11%). Gains are led by Lithium Carbonate (2.45%), Iron Ore CNY (1.08%) and Silicon (0.67%).
Energy Commodities Updates: Brent Crude Oil Rallies by 8.09%
Top commodity gainers are Brent Crude Oil (8.09%), Crude Oil WTI (7.41%) and Heating Oil (5.13%). Biggest losers are Germany Natural Gas THE (-0.70%) and Natural Gas UK (-0.67%).
Gasoline Reaches Highest Since May
US gasoline futures rose above $3.48 per gallon, near the highest level since the end of May, as the US-Iran conflict escalated to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, fueling concerns over further disruptions to energy supply. Nearing a second consecutive week of strikes, a new front in the conflict opened in the Red Sea after President Donald Trump said Iran would be held responsible for any further attacks, following claims by Iran-backed Houthi rebels of strikes on two Saudi oil tankers. Tankers have increasingly avoided the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, raising the risk of another disruption to a key global shipping route. Adding to the pressure, earlier Ukrainian strikes on 24 out of 34 largest Russian refineries, and US refineries running at 96.1% of their capacity, further weighed on refined supply outlook. Still, fuel supplies in Russia showed signs of improving after Ukraine shifted attacks away from major oil refineries toward maritime targets.
United States
US 30-Year Mortgage Rate Edges Up to 6.58%
The average rate on a 30-year fixed mortgage in the US edged up to 6.58% as of July 23, 2026, from 6.55% the previous week, marking the fourth consecutive weekly increase, according to Freddie Mac. "As market conditions continue to evolve, borrowers should remember that shopping around for a mortgage rate can make a meaningful difference, potentially saving them thousands over the loan's lifetime," said Sam Khater, Freddie Mac's Chief Economist. A year earlier, the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 6.74%. Meanwhile, the average rate on a 15-year fixed mortgage rose to 5.96% from 5.93% the previous week.
United Kingdom
FTSE 100 Falls on Thursday
The FTSE 100 fell more than 0.5% on Thursday, as Brent extended gains for a fifth straight session to above $100 a barrel. Oil prices rallied after Iran-backed Houthi forces claimed attacks on two oil tankers in the Red Sea, reinforcing supply concerns. Shell and BP rose around 1.7% and 3%, respectively. RELX closed slightly lower, having opened around 2% higher, after reporting first-half operating profit in line with expectations, while reaffirming its full-year guidance. BT fell more than 1% after maintaining its annual outlook despite a slight decline in quarterly profit. Centrica (-10.4%) also reaffirmed guidance after posting stronger-than-expected first-half earnings. Meanwhile, EasyJet said profit fell by 70% in its fiscal third quarter, with its outlook still dependent on fuel prices and remaining summer demand. On the monetary policy front, the ECB kept rates unchanged, as expected.
Euro Area
European Stocks Fall Sharply
European stocks closed sharply lower on Thursday, as the surge in energy prices risked higher interest rates in the Eurozone, while markets parsed a series of earnings results. The Euro STOXX 50 fell 1.7% to 6,210 and the STOXX Europe 600 dropped 1.3% to 638. UniCredit sank 4.8% despite posting results that reflected a strong quarter, as its ambition to acquire Germany's Commerzbank jeopardized its share buyback program. Meanwhile, BNP Paribas lost 2.8% despite beating profit estimates, tracking other banks after amid tighter financial conditions. The ECB held rate unchanged, as expected, and signaled that pro-inflationary risks may warrant more rate hikes in the future. Such risks were consolidated by a surge in gas prices as escalation to the US-Iran war further dented tanker flows from the region. Meanwhile, luxury stocks fell with LVMH, Hermes, and Ferrari dropping over 3.5%, pressured by poor results from Moncler.
United States
Comcast Stock Price Hits 4-week Low
Comcast shares decreased to 22.69 USD, the lowest since June 2026. Over the past 4 weeks, Comcast gained 0.31%, and in the last 12 months, it decreased 35.79%.
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.