Forex markets became cautious on Thursday as oil prices continued to rise due to growing tensions in the Middle East.
Investors are also focused on key central bank and economic events later in the day.
The European Central Bank is scheduled to announce its monetary policy decisions in the second half of the day.
The latest developments in the Middle East have added to concerns across financial markets.
US Stock futures fall as risk aversion builds
US stock index futures were trading lower, with losses ranging between 0.6% and 0.8%.
The declines came as investors assessed the latest geopolitical developments and their potential impact on financial markets.
The US Dollar (USD) Index, meanwhile, remained relatively stable.
The index was holding slightly above the 101.00 level at the time of press.
Euro holds above 1.1400 ahead of ECB decision
The euro remained relatively stable against the US dollar during early European trading on Thursday.
After posting marginal gains on Wednesday, EUR/USD held above 1.1400.
The pair was trading with limited movement as markets awaited the ECB’s monetary policy decision later in the day.
The ECB decision is expected to remain a key focus for currency markets.
Investors will be watching the central bank’s policy announcement as they assess the direction of the euro.
Pound struggles to build recovery momentum
GBP/USD also remained under pressure during Thursday’s European session.
The pair found a foothold and closed flat on Wednesday.
This came after it recorded significant losses for four consecutive days.
However, the pound struggled to build further recovery momentum on Thursday.
GBP/USD moved sideways below the 1.3400 level during the European session.
The pair’s movement reflected continued caution in the currency market.
Investors remained focused on broader market developments as risk sentiment weakened.
Yen weakens as USD/JPY climbs above 163.30
USD/JPY also remained in focus during Thursday’s session.
The pair’s correction proved short-lived on Wednesday.
USD/JPY recovered and ended the day virtually unchanged above 163.00.
The pair then gained traction during the European session on Thursday.
It traded at its highest level in about four decades, moving above 163.30.
Japanese Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama reiterated early Thursday that his government is “ready to take decisive action on foreign exchange as needed.”
The comments came as the Japanese yen remained under pressure against the US dollar.
The rise in USD/JPY kept attention on potential foreign-exchange market action by Japanese authorities.
Indian rupee edges higher against US dollar
The Indian Rupee (INR) opened marginally higher against the US Dollar (USD) on Thursday.
The move came amid possible intervention by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in the spot and non-deliverable forwards (NDFs) markets to support the currency.
The USD/INR pair edged lower to near 96.47 during the session.
However, the pair remained close to its two-month high of 96.75, which was recorded on Monday.
The rupee’s movement came as currency markets remained sensitive to developments in the US dollar and broader risk sentiment.
The possibility of RBI intervention also remained a factor in the pair’s trading activity.
Overall, financial markets remained cautious on Thursday as rising crude oil prices and escalating Middle East tensions weighed on risk appetite.
At the same time, investors awaited the ECB’s monetary policy decision and US Initial Jobless Claims data for further direction.
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