Sydney Open Briefing: Monday, August 17, 2026
The Sydney trading session opens with a slight risk-on sentiment, indicated by the Risk Meter at +0.15. Over the last 24 hours, the New Zealand Dollar has been the strongest performer, up +0.41%, while the US Dollar has shown weakness, down -0.33%. The Swiss Franc also declined by -0.22% and the Japanese Yen by -0.20%. Significant currency pair movements include USDCHF down -0.35%, EURGBP down -0.11%, EURUSD down -0.08%, EURJPY down -0.07%, NZDUSD down -0.05%, and AUDUSD down -0.05%, setting the context for the start of the week.
Attention for the early part of the session turns to upcoming data. New Zealand’s Electronic Card Retail Sales m/m is due at Sun 22:45 UTC, with a consensus of -0.3% following a previous reading of -1.4%. Shortly after, at Sun 23:50 UTC, a series of Japanese economic indicators will be released. These include GDP q/q, with a consensus of 0.1% against a previous 0.5%, GDP Price Index y/y at a consensus of 3.2% matching the previous 3.2%, GDP y/y with a consensus of 0.5% from a previous 1.8%, and Net Exports Contribution to GDP q/q expected at 0.4% compared to the previous 0.3%.
Further into the session, Chinese economic data will be in focus at Mon 02:00 UTC. This includes Fixed Asset Investment y/y, with a consensus of -6.3% after a previous -5.7%, and Industrial Production YTD y/y, which previously stood at 5.4%. A NBS Press Conference on Economic Situation is also scheduled at this time. Traders will likely monitor the Japanese GDP q/q release closely for early session direction.
| At a glance | |
|---|---|
| Biggest moves since the previous session | USDCHF -0.35%, EURGBP -0.11%, EURUSD -0.08% |
| Currency strength, 24h | NZD strongest at +0.41%, USD weakest at -0.33% |
| Risk meter | +0.15 (mildly risk-on) |
Scheduled this session (High and Medium impact)
| Time | Ccy | Event | Impact | Consensus |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22:45 UTC | NZD | Electronic Card Retail Sales m/m | Medium | -0.3% |
| 23:50 UTC | JPY | GDP q/q | High | 0.1% |
| 23:50 UTC | JPY | GDP Price Index y/y | Medium | 3.2% |
| 23:50 UTC | JPY | GDP y/y | Medium | 0.5% |
| 23:50 UTC | JPY | Net Exports Contribution to GDP q/q | Medium | 0.4% |
| 02:00 UTC | CNY | Fixed Asset Investment y/y | Medium | -6.3% |
| 02:00 UTC | CNY | Industrial Production YTD y/y | Medium | – |
| 02:00 UTC | CNY | NBS Press Conference on Economic Situation | 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.