New York Open Briefing: Thursday, October 22, 2026
The New York session opens with a risk-off tone carrying over from earlier trading, as JPY leads currency strength. Major JPY crosses saw declines, with EURJPY down 0.72% and GBPJPY down 0.58%. Equity indices also moved lower, with the JP225 falling 0.71% and USTEC down 0.36%. Gold, XAUUSD, also declined 0.57%. The overall Risk Meter stands at -0.25, indicating a slight risk-off sentiment. JPY is the strongest currency over the last 24 hours, up 0.65%, while AUD is the weakest, down 0.38%.
The US session begins after the release of Initial Jobless Claims, which came in at 199K, slightly below the 200K consensus. Looking ahead, the US calendar includes the CB Leading Economic Index m/m at 14:00 UTC, with a consensus of 0%, and a 5-Year TIPS Auction at 17:00 UTC. Crowd positioning data indicates a shift toward long in EURJPY by 9pt over the last 24 hours, despite its price decline, with similar shifts observed in XAUUSD and US30.
Traders will watch the upcoming US CB Leading Economic Index m/m for further insights during the session.
| At a glance | |
|---|---|
| Biggest moves since the previous session | EURJPY -0.72%, JP225 -0.71%, GBPJPY -0.58% |
| Currency strength, 24h | JPY strongest at +0.65%, AUD weakest at -0.38% |
| Risk meter | -0.25 (mildly risk-off) |
Scheduled this session (High and Medium impact)
| Time | Ccy | Event | Impact | Consensus |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14:00 UTC | USD | CB Leading Economic Index m/m | Medium | 0% |
| 17:00 UTC | USD | 5-Year TIPS Auction | Medium | – |
| 23:30 UTC | JPY | CPI excl. Food and Energy y/y | Medium | 1.8% |
| 00:30 UTC | AUD | Australia Employment Change | High | – |
| 00:30 UTC | AUD | Australia GDP q/q | 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.