China's Hubei province, epicentre of coronavirus outbreak, reports 1,693 new cases on Feb 18 vs 1,807 on Feb 17

EUR/USD consolidates gains below 1.1800 in the European trading hours on Wednesday. A broadly subdued US Dollar continues to underpin the pair amid quiet markets and thin liquidity conditions on Christmas Eve. 

GBP/USD keeps its range trade intact at around 1.3500 in the European session on Wednesday. The Pound Sterling holds the upper hand over the US Dollar amid pre-Christmas light trading as traders turn to sidelines heading into the holiday season. 

Gold retreats following the move higher to the $4,525 area, or a fresh all-time peak, though the downside remains limited amid a bullish fundamental backdrop. The US Dollar selling bias remains unabated on the back of dovish Fed expectations, which continues to act as a tailwind for the bullion amid persistent geopolitical risks.

Shiba Inu price remains under pressure, trading below $0.000070 on Wednesday as bearish momentum continues to dominate the broader crypto market. On-chain and derivatives data further support the bearish sentiment, while technical analysis suggests a deeper correction targeting the yearly lows.

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.

Stellar (XLM) price is trading below $0.22 at the time of writing on Wednesday after failing to close above the key resistance earlier this week. Bearish momentum continues to strengthen, with open interest falling and short bets rising.