Sydney Open Briefing: Tuesday, August 18, 2026
The Sydney session opens with a cautious tone, as indicated by the Risk Meter at -0.16. Equity indices saw declines, with the US500 down -0.55%, USTEC down -0.52%, and DE40 down -0.40%. Gold, XAUUSD, moved higher by +0.62%. The NZDUSD declined -0.27% since the reference point. In currency strength over 24 hours, the CHF gained +0.23% and AUD gained +0.19%, while the JPY weakened by -0.22%.
Recent US Treasury International Capital (TIC) data showed mixed signals. TIC Net Foreign Purchases of Domestic Treasury Bonds & Notes came in at 6.8B USD, significantly below the 29.4B USD consensus. However, TIC Overall Net Capital Flow was 133.5B USD, well above the 67.8B USD consensus. TIC Net Long-Term Transactions also surprised to the upside at 172.7B USD, compared to a 90.5B USD consensus. US bill auctions saw the 6-Month Bill Auction yield 3.78% and the 3-Month Bill Auction yield 3.715%.
Looking ahead, the focus for the London session will be on UK labor market data. At 06:00 UTC, the UK Claimant Count Change is expected at 11.2K, following a previous 6.7K. Also due are Employment Change 3-months, with a consensus of 82K, and UK Average Earnings Index 3m/y, with a consensus of 4.0%. Later, at 08:30 UTC, Labour Productivity y/y and q/q figures will be released.
Traders will likely pay close attention to the upcoming UK Claimant Count Change for insights into the health of the UK labor market.
| At a glance | |
|---|---|
| Biggest moves since the previous session | XAUUSD +0.62%, US500 -0.55%, USTEC -0.52% |
| Currency strength, 24h | CHF strongest at +0.23%, JPY weakest at -0.22% |
| Risk meter | -0.16 (mildly risk-off) |
Scheduled this session (High and Medium impact)
| Time | Ccy | Event | Impact | Consensus |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 06:00 UTC | GBP | UK Claimant Count Change | High | 11.2K |
| 06:00 UTC | GBP | Employment Change 3-months | Medium | 82K |
| 06:00 UTC | GBP | UK Average Earnings Index 3m/y | Medium | 4.0% |
| 08:30 UTC | GBP | Labour Productivity y/y | Medium | – |
| 08:30 UTC | GBP | Labour Productivity q/q | 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.