Sydney Open Briefing: Thursday, August 20, 2026
The Sydney session begins with the US Dollar showing broad weakness, registering -0.92% on the 24-hour currency strength meter. This contributed to significant moves, including XAUUSD rising +3.26% and USDCHF falling -1.41%. NZDUSD gained +0.59%, EURUSD +0.53%, and AUDUSD +0.47%. The overall market tone leans slightly risk-off, with the risk meter at -0.39%.
Overnight, US energy data presented a mixed picture. EIA Gasoline Production Change was 0.143M, below the 0.183M consensus, and EIA Distillate Fuel Production Change registered -0.054M, significantly missing the -0.015M consensus. Brazil’s Foreign Exchange Flows surprised positively at 0.851B, well above the 0.233B consensus. Retail books show notable disagreement on GBPUSD by 21 points and EURJPY by 24 points.
For the Sydney session, attention turns to high-impact Australian employment data scheduled for Thu 01:30 UTC. This includes the Unemployment Rate, with consensus at 4.4% matching the previous figure, and Australia Employment Change, expected at 11.7K following a prior 76.3K. The AUD has shown some weakness over the last 24 hours, down -0.30%. Japan also releases Exports y/y and Adjusted Trade Balance at Wed 23:50 UTC.
The most significant data point for this session remains the upcoming Australian employment report.
| At a glance | |
|---|---|
| Biggest moves since the previous session | XAUUSD +3.26%, USDCHF -1.41%, NZDUSD +0.59% |
| Currency strength, 24h | CHF strongest at +1.23%, USD weakest at -0.92% |
| Risk meter | -0.39 (risk-off) |
Scheduled this session (High and Medium impact)
| Time | Ccy | Event | Impact | Consensus |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23:50 UTC | JPY | Exports y/y | Medium | 22.3% |
| 23:50 UTC | JPY | Adjusted Trade Balance | Medium | -361.6B |
| 01:30 UTC | AUD | Unemployment Rate | High | 4.4% |
| 01:30 UTC | AUD | Australia Employment Change | High | 11.7K |
| 01:30 UTC | AUD | Full-Time Employment Change | 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.