Weekly economic & financial commentary

Wells Fargo Research Team Wells Fargo

Summary

United States: The Labor Market Is Not Out of the Woods

Job openings in December slipped roughly 10% year-over-year to their lowest level since September 2020. While business activity picked up in the services and manufacturing sectors, so did price pressures.
Next week: Retail Sales (Tue.), Employment (Wed.), Existing Home Sales (Thu.), CPI (Fri.)

International: Central Banks Still in the Spotlight

It was a busy week for foreign central bank announcements, though the only policy move came from Australia, where the RBA delivered a rate hike. The Bank of England, the European Central Bank and Banxico all held rates steady. Outside of central bank developments, Canada’s latest labor market data offered a mixed picture.
Next week: Japan Labor Cash Earnings (Mon.), U.K. GDP (Thu.)

Topic of the Week: New Year, New Tariffs: January Tariff Developments

Trade policy dominated headlines again during the first month of 2026. But despite escalatory rhetoric, the U.S. average tariff rate actually nudged down modestly.

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Wells Fargo Research Team

Wells Fargo

EUR/USD hits two-day highs near 1.1820

EUR/USD picks up pace and reaches two-day tops around 1.1820 at the end of the week. The pair’s move higher comes on the back of renewed weakness in the US Dollar amid growing talk that the Fed could deliver an interest rate cut as early as March. On the docket, the flash US Consumer Sentiment improves to 57.3 in February.

GBP/USD reclaims 1.3600 and above

GBP/USD reverses two straight days of losses, surpassing the key 1.3600 yardstick on Friday. Cable’s rebound comes as the Greenback slips away from two-week highs in response to some profit-taking mood and speculation of Fed rate cuts. In addition, hawkish comments from the BoE’s Pill are also collaborating with the quid’s improvement.

Gold climbs further, focus is back to 45,000

Gold regains upside traction and surpasses the $4,900 mark per troy ounce at the end of the week, shifting its attention to the critical $5,000 region. The move reflects a shift in risk sentiment, driving flows back towards traditional safe haven assets and supporting the yellow metal.

Crypto Today: Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP rebound amid risk-off, $2.6 billion liquidation wave

Bitcoin edges up above $65,000 at the time of writing on Friday, as dust from the recent macro-triggered sell-off settles. The leading altcoin, Ethereum, hovers above $1,900, but resistance at $2,000 caps the upside. Meanwhile, Ripple has recorded the largest intraday jump among the three assets, up over 10% to $1.35.

Three scenarios for Japanese Yen ahead of snap election

The latest polls point to a dominant win for the ruling bloc at the upcoming Japanese snap election. The larger Sanae Takaichi’s mandate, the more investors fear faster implementation of tax cuts and spending plans.

XRP rally extends as modest ETF inflows support recovery

Ripple is accelerating its recovery, trading above $1.36 at the time of writing on Friday, as investors adjust their positions following a turbulent week in the broader crypto market. The remittance token is up over 21% from its intraday low of $1.12.