🗞️ NordFX Morning U...from NORDFX Global

🗞️ NordFX Morning Update – 17 February 2026 Markets return from the US long weekend in a cautious mood, with risk appetite slightly deteriorating. 📉 US index futures are under pressure. Nasdaq 100 futures are down around 0.8%, S&P 500 futures lose about 0.4%, while Dow futures are slightly more resilient. Tech and AI-linked stocks remain sensitive as investors reassess sector valuations and longer-term earnings impact. 🌏 Asia trades mixed in thin conditions due to Lunar New Year holidays in China. Japan’s Nikkei is down roughly 0.9% after soft GDP data, while Australia’s ASX 200 adds around 0.2%, supported by strength in the materials sector. 🛢️ Oil holds steady ahead of US-Iran talks in Geneva. Brent is slightly softer while WTI shows mild gains, with traders balancing geopolitical risks and potential supply implications. 💱 FX volatility remains limited. The dollar index is hovering near 97, EUR/USD trades around 1.184–1.185, and USD/JPY stays above 153. The Japanese yen is modestly firmer after a solid government bond auction. 🥇 Gold is under renewed pressure, slipping below key levels and trading around the $4,900–4,950 area, while silver extends losses. 📅 Today’s focus: 🇦🇺 02:30 – RBA Minutes 🇷🇴 15:00 – Interest Rate Decision 🇨🇦 15:30 – CPI m/m and y/y Canadian inflation data may be the main volatility trigger of the day. Stay focused and trade wisely with NordFX! 🚀

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🌤️ Why Volatility Often Returns After Calm Periods Markets never stay quiet for long. When volatility drops, traders increase leverage, tighten stops and sell options to collect premium. Risk looks cheap. That is exactly when the next sharp move becomes more likely. ⚡ When price finally breaks out of a narrow range, positioning unwinds fast. Stops trigger, hedges adjust and liquidity thins. The result is acceleration. 📊 Right now, equity volatility has cooled after recent spikes, but it remains elevated compared to long term averages. Gold is holding near historic highs around the $5,000 area, oil remains sensitive to geopolitical headlines, and the US PCE inflation release on 20 February could become the next catalyst for FX, indices and metals. 🧠 What to remember: Calm periods often precede expansion Volatility clusters: quiet days are followed by active ones Plan breakout scenarios in advance 🚀 Prepare for the next move and trade with proper risk management: https://my.nordfx.com/en/regis...

NORDFX Global

🌅 Morning Update – 20 February 2026 Escalating geopolitical risk continues to shape global markets as tensions between the US and Iran weigh on investor sentiment. Asian equities opened lower, with Japan’s Nikkei down around 1 % and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng under pressure, as traders remain cautious amid heightened risk aversion. 🧨 🛢 Oil climbed to the highest levels in about six months, with Brent trading in the 71–72 USD per barrel zone on fears of potential supply disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz. Higher crude prices are also lending support to energy stocks across several markets. 📉 Global equities remain fragile. US stock futures signal a cautious tone after a sell-off in private equity names and continued weakness in technology shares pulled Wall Street lower. European indices are mixed as investors rotate towards safer assets. 💵 The US dollar is strengthening and is on track for one of its best weeks in months. Solid economic data and expectations that the Federal Reserve will remain cautious on rate cuts, given persistent inflation risks, continue to underpin the greenback. 🌏 Asian markets are mixed overall. South Korea’s Kospi is outperforming, while Tokyo and other regional bourses lag. Indian benchmarks are trading unevenly as currency weakness and elevated energy prices weigh on sentiment. 📊 What’s ahead: Investors are watching upcoming releases including Japan’s CPI, UK retail sales and flash PMIs, as well as US preliminary PMIs and Q4 GDP data. These figures are expected to provide clearer signals on global growth and inflation trends amid ongoing geopolitical uncertainty. Stay alert and manage risk wisely. 🚀

NORDFX Global