Sydney Open Briefing: Thursday, July 23, 2026
The Sydney session opens with mixed equity performance following the overnight close. The JP225 advanced by 0.57%, alongside gains in US equities, with the USTEC up 0.39% and the US500 up 0.27%. The UK100, however, saw a decline of 0.30%. In currency markets, USDCHF moved higher by 0.27%, while NZDUSD declined by 0.20%. The overall risk meter registers at -0.10, indicating a slight risk-off tone. The New Zealand Dollar and Swiss Franc were the weakest currencies over the past 24 hours, both down -0.21%, while the Canadian Dollar gained +0.19% and the Euro +0.16%.
Overnight data releases included Brazilian Foreign Exchange Flows, which came in at an actual 0.135B against a consensus of -0.353B, a surprise of +138.2%. The US 20-Year Bond Auction yielded an actual 5.163%. US EIA data showed a Refinery Utilization Rate Change of -0.1%, Heating Oil Stocks Change at 0.231M versus a consensus of 0.013M, and Cushing Crude Oil Stocks Change at -0.674M against a consensus of 0.992M. Retail positioning data indicates a crowd shift on GBPUSD, with the book moving 8pt toward long in 24 hours. Retail books currently disagree by 21 points on GBPUSD, while the book on EURGBP moved 8pt toward short.
Looking ahead in the Sydney session, high-impact Australian employment data is due at Thu 01:30 UTC. This includes Employment Change, with a consensus of 16.4K following a previous 40.3K, and the Unemployment Rate, expected at 4.4% consistent with the previous 4.4%. Full-Time Employment Change, a medium-impact release, previously stood at 5.2K. Later, Singapore’s CPI y/y is scheduled for Thu 05:00 UTC, with a consensus of 1.9% against a previous 1.8%. Germany’s Bbk Executive Board Member Mauderer is also scheduled to speak at Thu 07:20 UTC.
Traders will closely monitor the upcoming Australian employment figures for directional cues.
| At a glance | |
|---|---|
| Biggest moves since the previous session | JP225 +0.57%, USTEC +0.39%, UK100 -0.30% |
| Currency strength, 24h | CAD strongest at +0.19%, NZD weakest at -0.21% |
| Risk meter | -0.10 (mildly risk-off) |
Scheduled this session (High and Medium impact)
| Time | Ccy | Event | Impact | Consensus |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01:30 UTC | AUD | Australia Employment Change | High | 16.4K |
| 01:30 UTC | AUD | Unemployment Rate | High | 4.4% |
| 01:30 UTC | AUD | Full-Time Employment Change | Medium | – |
| 05:00 UTC | SGD | CPI y/y | Medium | 1.9% |
| 07:20 UTC | EUR | Germany Bbk Executive Board Member Mauderer Speech | 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.