China Finance Ministry: We hope US to take 'concrete' actions to create favorable environment

EUR/USD returned to the 1.1750 price zone in the American session on Friday, despite falling Wall Street, which indicates risk aversion. Trading conditions remain thin following the New Year holiday and ahead of the weekend, with the focus shifting to US employment and European data scheduled for next week.

After testing 1.3400 on the last day of 2025, GBP/USD managed to stage a rebound. Nevertheless, the pair finds it difficult to gather momentum and trades with modest intraday gains at around 1.3490 as market participants remain in holiday mood.

Gold eyes another volatile week, starting out on Monday, as it holds above $4,300 following a sharp retreat on Friday from around $4,400. Escalating geopolitical tensions after US forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and uncertainty ahead of the critical US jobs data releases could keep Gold underpinned. 

Next week is important for U.S. markets. We get key economic data that can move stocks, bonds, and the dollar. The main reports are ISM Manufacturing, ISM Services, Building Permits, and Non-Farm Payrolls. Traders will watch these closely.

After a year marked by global economic resilience and ending on a note of optimism, 2026 looks promising and could be a year of solid economic performance. In our baseline scenario, we expect most of the supportive factors at work in 2025 to continue to play a role in 2026.

Year 2025 was volatile, as crypto often is.  Among positive catalysts were favourable regulatory changes in the U.S., rise of Digital Asset Treasuries (DAT), adoption of AI and tokenization of Real-World-Assets (RWA).