Sydney Open Briefing: Thursday, October 15, 2026
The Sydney session opens with a mixed risk tone after US equities closed lower and the US dollar saw strength following inflation data. The JP225 declined by 1.93%, while the US500 was down 0.91%. Gold, XAUUSD, also saw a 0.35% drop. The US dollar gained 0.25% in the last 24 hours, supported by a higher than expected Core CPI m/m figure of 0.3% against a 0.2% consensus.
Overnight, US inflation data showed the monthly Consumer Price Index at 0.6%, matching expectations. However, the Core CPI m/m registered 0.3%, exceeding the 0.2% consensus. Looking ahead, the Australian job market data is due at Thu 00:30 UTC, with the Unemployment Rate expected at 4.6% and Employment Change at 19.6K. Also scheduled is the Full-Time Employment Change.
Later in the session, Fed Governor Bowman Speech is set for Thu 02:55 UTC. Retail positioning data shows a shift of 8 points toward long on EURJPY, GBPJPY, and NZDUSD over the past 24 hours. Additionally, retail books show a 20-point disagreement on USDCAD.
Traders will likely focus on the upcoming Australian employment figures for immediate market direction.
| At a glance | |
|---|---|
| Biggest moves since the previous session | JP225 -1.93%, USTEC -1.60%, US500 -0.91% |
| Currency strength, 24h | USD strongest at +0.25%, GBP weakest at -0.28% |
| Risk meter | +0.01 (balanced) |
Scheduled this session (High and Medium impact)
| Time | Ccy | Event | Impact | Consensus |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 00:30 UTC | AUD | Unemployment Rate | High | 4.6% |
| 00:30 UTC | AUD | Employment Change | High | 19.6K |
| 00:30 UTC | AUD | Full-Time Employment Change | Medium | – |
| 02:55 UTC | USD | Fed Governor Bowman Speech | Medium | – |
| 03:40 UTC | GBP | BoE MPC Member Pill Speech | Medium | – |
| 03:40 UTC | GBP | BoE Deputy Governor for Prudential Regulation Woods Speech | Medium | – |
| 04:30 UTC | JPY | Industrial Production m/m | Medium | – |
| 06:00 UTC | GBP | GDP m/m | High | -0.1% |
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.