New York Open Briefing: Friday, September 18, 2026
The New York session opens with European equities lower, as the UK100 is down 1.14% and the DE40 is down 0.78%. The Japanese Yen is the weakest currency over 24 hours, down 1.16%, contributing to gains in JPY crosses, with USDJPY up 0.62%, GBPJPY up 0.45%, and EURJPY up 0.40%. Gold, XAUUSD, is trading higher by 0.57%. The risk meter stands at +0.03, indicating a near neutral risk tone.
A series of medium impact USD data releases are scheduled. At 13:15 UTC, Fed Industrial Production m/m is due, with a consensus of 0% following a previous 0.2%, alongside y/y figures, consensus 0.9% from a previous 1.1%. This is followed by a Fed Governor Bowman Speech at 13:30 UTC. At 14:00 UTC, the CB Leading Economic Index m/m will be released, with consensus at -0.1% after a previous 0.2%. The US Dollar has seen strength, up 0.26% over the last 24 hours.
Later in the session, at 17:00 UTC, the Baker Hughes US Oil Rig Count (previous 450) and US Total Rig Count (previous 591) will be published. The Australian Dollar is the strongest currency over 24 hours, up 0.47%, even as the crowd shift on AUDUSD moved 9pt toward short. An European Central Bank speech scored +0.65, indicating a hawkish tone.
The market will closely watch the upcoming Fed Industrial Production data and Governor Bowman’s remarks.
| At a glance | |
|---|---|
| Biggest moves since the previous session | UK100 -1.14%, DE40 -0.78%, USDJPY +0.62% |
| Currency strength, 24h | AUD strongest at +0.47%, JPY weakest at -1.16% |
| Risk meter | +0.03 (balanced) |
Scheduled this session (High and Medium impact)
| Time | Ccy | Event | Impact | Consensus |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13:15 UTC | USD | Fed Industrial Production m/m | Medium | 0% |
| 13:15 UTC | USD | Fed Industrial Production y/y | Medium | 0.9% |
| 13:30 UTC | USD | Fed Governor Bowman Speech | Medium | – |
| 14:00 UTC | USD | CB Leading Economic Index m/m | Medium | -0.1% |
| 17:00 UTC | USD | Baker Hughes US Oil Rig Count | Medium | – |
| 17:00 UTC | USD | Baker Hughes US Total Rig Count | Medium | – |
| 19:30 UTC | AUD | CFTC AUD Non-Commercial Net Positions | Medium | – |
| 19:30 UTC | BRL | CFTC BRL Non-Commercial Net Positions | Medium | – |
Times are UTC. This brief describes measured market state and the published schedule. It is not financial advice and nothing in it is a trade recommendation.