Sydney Open Briefing: Thursday, August 6, 2026
The Sydney session opens following a period of global equity declines, with USTEC down -1.09% and US500 falling -0.53%. The JP225 also saw a -0.78% decrease. This occurred against a risk-off tone, measured at -0.26. Gold, XAUUSD, gained +1.05%. The US Dollar showed weakness, down -0.13% over 24 hours, while the Swiss Franc was stronger, up +0.15%, contributing to a -0.30% move in USDCHF. A Federal Reserve speech registered as hawkish, scoring +0.75. Retail positioning indicates disagreement, with books differing by 20 points on USDJPY and 22 points on XAUUSD. The crowd on EURJPY flipped from 57% long to 51% short in 24 hours.
Recent data releases included Foreign Exchange Flows from Brazil, which came in at 2.814B, significantly above the consensus of -0.578B. Energy sector data from the US showed EIA Heating Oil Stocks Change at -0.144M, a notable surprise, and EIA Cushing Crude Oil Stocks Change increased by 2.356M. EIA Refinery Utilization Rate Change was -0.7%.
Looking ahead in the Sydney session, traders will focus on the Trade Balance (AUD), scheduled for Thu 01:30 UTC. Consensus for this release is 0.932B, following a previous figure of -3.018B.
The Trade Balance (AUD) release will be a key data point for the Australian Dollar during this session.
| At a glance | |
|---|---|
| Biggest moves since the previous session | USTEC -1.09%, XAUUSD +1.05%, JP225 -0.78% |
| Currency strength, 24h | CAD strongest at +0.28%, NZD weakest at -0.28% |
| Risk meter | -0.26 (risk-off) |
Scheduled this session (High and Medium impact)
| Time | Ccy | Event | Impact | Consensus |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01:30 UTC | AUD | Trade Balance | Medium | 0.932B |
| 07:30 UTC | EUR | S&P Global Construction PMI | Medium | – |
| 08:30 UTC | GBP | S&P Global/CIPS Construction PMI | Medium | 39 |
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.