Market Recap
XAUUSD
XAUUSD ended the session at 5060.3, up 73.8 points or 1.48% from the 01:00 open, after traversing a 121.52-point intraday range that equated to 2.44% of the opening level. The day’s low was established early at 4965.12 at 01:08, and price stayed above that trough for the remainder of the session, progressing to a late peak at 5086.64 at 22:33 before settling 26.3 points off the high and 95.2 above the low, leaving the close in the upper end of the range. Trading crossed a 100-point handle during the session and moved back above the 5,000 round level, which was maintained into the 23:57 close. On the higher timeframes, the instrument remained above its 21-day EMA at 4877.41, while on the intraday side it also finished above the H1 21-EMA at 5028.38. Momentum indicators on H4 were firm, with the MACD signal printing 6.66 and RSI(14) at 65.55. The sequence for the day featured an initial dip immediately after the open followed by steady upside into the late evening, culminating in the 22:33 high, with no further downside tests near the session low thereafter. By the close, price action had reclaimed and held territory north of the 5,000 mark, while the late-session pullback from the high was limited in points terms relative to the day’s total range, keeping the settlement closer to resistance than to the day’s floor.
GBPUSD
GBPUSD extended higher over the session, reaching 1.37 at 21:42 and settling near the top of the day’s range at 1.37. From an open at 1.36, the pair posted its low at 00:05 at 1.36 before progressing to the late-session peak and closing at 1.37, a gain of 0.01 or 0.69%. The intraday span measured 0.01, equivalent to 0.85% of the open and about 106.1% of its D1 ATR, indicating a range in line with recent daily volatility. The close was positioned close to the high, with price action transitioning from an early dip to a late advance, and the 1.37 round figure was approached late in the day while 1.36 was seen near the open and the low. On the higher timeframes, the close finished above the H4 50-period simple moving average around 1.37 and also above the H1 21-period exponential moving average near 1.37, leaving spot north of these near-term reference lines into the end of trade. The pair remained above the 5‑day low at 1.35 throughout, with the session low maintaining distance from that multi-day marker. Overall, the day featured an early trough followed by a steady climb into late US hours, a test of the 1.37 handle with the high printed at 21:42, and a finish just beneath that figure, keeping the settlement in the upper end of the session’s 0.01 range.
USDJPY
USDJPY traversed a two-way session that registered fresh multi-day extremes before ending lower. It opened at 157.54 and posted the day’s high at 157.65 at 01:15, a new 5‑day and 10‑day high that matches the 5‑day marker, before sliding to the session low at 155.51 at 16:31, which set a 5‑day trough. The pair closed at 155.76, down 1.78 (-1.13%) on the day, with an intraday range of 2.14, equivalent to 1.36% of the open. The close sat near the lower end of the day’s range, below 156.00 and only modestly above the session low, after the early uptick failed to extend toward 158.00. Price traded within the 150‑handle throughout and settled closer to the 160‑handle than to 150. The sequence was orderly: an early push to the new high in the first hour, followed by a steady descent into mid-session and a late-day low, with only a limited rebound into the close. On higher timeframes, H4 RSI14 printed 39.71 into the end of the session. On the daily backdrop, the upper Bollinger band stands at 160.24, leaving the day’s high below that band. The session therefore combined a 5‑day high at 157.65 with a 5‑day low at 155.51 within one trading window, while finishing near the lower quartile of the day’s 2.14 move. No tick data were provided, and no daily ATR reference was available for range comparison.
Economic Calendar Recap & Preview
No major economic data was released. Looking ahead, Japan’s BoJ L Money Stock prints at 01:50 server time and is projected at 2.0 percent year over year, easing from 2.1 previously. The U.S. calendar then focuses on January retail sales at 15:30 server time: headline retail sales are expected to rise 0.1 percent month over month after 0.6 percent, while core retail sales are seen at 0.2 percent month over month following 0.5 percent. As a simple guide, stronger retail sales typically signal firmer consumer demand and can nudge rate expectations higher. The 15:30 cluster may prompt brief volatility in U.S. rates and the dollar around the release.