New York Open Briefing: Tuesday, July 21, 2026
The New York session opens with equity markets showing gains, as the JP225 advanced 0.67%, the UK100 rose 0.63%, the USTEC was up 0.58%, and the DE40 climbed 0.42%. Gold, XAUUSD, also saw a 0.35% increase. In contrast, NZDUSD declined by 0.34%. The broader risk meter registers at -0.06, indicating a slight risk-off tilt despite the equity performance. Over the past 24 hours, AUD and USD have been the strongest currencies, up 0.33% and 0.19% respectively, while GBP and CHF have shown weakness.
Recent data releases include Mexico’s Retail Sales n.s.a. y/y, which came in at 1.6% against a consensus of 2.5%, and Retail Sales m/m, reporting -0.6% compared to a 0.3% consensus. Germany’s 5-Year Note Auction yielded 2.89%. Hong Kong’s CPI y/y was reported at 2%, slightly below the 2.1% consensus. Switzerland released its trade figures, with Imports at 21.392B and Exports at 26.616B. Retail positioning data shows the crowd shifted 8pt toward short on AUDUSD and 8pt toward long on GBPJPY over 24 hours. Retail books also show a 20 point disagreement on EURJPY and a 21 point disagreement on AUDUSD.
Looking ahead, traders will monitor Japan’s Adjusted Trade Balance and Exports y/y data, scheduled for release late in the session at Tuesday 23:50 UTC.
| At a glance | |
|---|---|
| Biggest moves since the previous session | JP225 +0.67%, UK100 +0.63%, USTEC +0.58% |
| Currency strength, 24h | AUD strongest at +0.33%, GBP weakest at -0.30% |
| Risk meter | -0.06 (mildly risk-off) |
Scheduled this session (High and Medium impact)
| Time | Ccy | Event | Impact | Consensus |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23:50 UTC | JPY | Adjusted Trade Balance | Medium | 357.8B |
| 23:50 UTC | JPY | Exports y/y | Medium | 27.2% |
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.