The Japanese yen strengthened against other major currencies in the Asian session on Wednesday, amid potential large-scale government actions.

Final composite Purchasing Managers' survey results from the euro area and the UK are due on Wednesday, headlining a busy day for the European economic news. At 2.45 am ET, France's statistical office INSEE publishes industrial production data for March. Economists forecast industrial output to grow 0.5 percent on a monthly basis in March, in contrast to the 0.7 percent fall in February.

China's service sector registered faster growth in April, driven by stronger increases in new business despite declining foreign orders, survey results published by S&P Global revealed Wednesday. The headline RatingDog China services Purchasing Managers' Index rose to 52.6 in April from 52.1 in the previous month.

New home sales in the U.S. saw a substantial increase in the month of March, according to a report released by the Commerce Department on Tuesday. The report said new home sales spiked by 7.4 percent to an annual rate of 682,000 in March after soaring by 8.9 percent to an annual rate of 635,000 in February. Economists had expected new home sales to come in at an annual rate of 668,000.

A report released by the Institute for Supply Management on Tuesday showed a slight slowdown in the pace of growth in U.S. service sector activity in the month of April. The ISM said its services PMI slipped to 53.6 in April after falling to 54.0 in March, although a reading above 50 still indicates growth. Economists had expected the index to edge down to 53.7.

With imports increasing by modestly more than exports, the Commerce Department released a report on Tuesday showing the U.S. trade deficit widened roughly in line with economist estimates in the month of March. The Commerce Department said the trade deficit grew to $60.3 billion in March from a revised $57.8 billion in February.

The Reserve Bank of Australia raised its key interest rate by a quarter basis point for the third straight meeting as inflation is expected to remain above the target as the war in the Middle East pushed up fuel prices. The RBA policy board, led by Governor Michele Bullock, decided to lift the cash rate target by 25 basis points to 4.35 percent in a split vote on Tuesday, in line with economists

Indonesia's economy grew at the fastest pace in more than three years in the first quarter as government stimulus measures supported the nation amid the adverse effects of the war in the Middle East. Gross domestic product logged an annual growth of 5.61 percent in the first quarter, surpassing the 5.39 percent expansion registered in the fourth quarter, Statistics Indonesia said Tuesday.

New orders for U.S. manufactured goods increased by much more than expected in the month of March, according to a report released by the Commerce Department on Monday. The Commerce Department said factory orders jumped by 1.5 percent in March after rising by an upwardly revised 0.3 percent in February.

Eurozone investor sentiment improved unexpectedly in May, driven by investor expectations that the conflict with Iran would not escalate further, a survey conducted by the behavioral research institute Sentix showed Monday. The investor sentiment index rose to -16.4 in May from -19.2 in April. The score was forecast to fall to -20.9.

The euro area factory activity expanded at its strongest pace in nearly four years in April as manufacturers front-loaded their orders due to fears of the war-induced price increases and supply shock, final data from S&P Global showed Monday. The manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index rose to a 47-month high of 52.2 in April, in line with flash estimate, from 51.6 in March.

The Canadian dollar weakened against other major currencies in the Asian session on Monday, as the decline in crude oil prices following the commencement of Operation Freedom by President Trump.

Final manufacturing Purchasing Managers' survey and Sentix investor confidence from the euro area are the top economic news due on Monday. At 3.15 am ET, S&P Global publishes Spain's manufacturing PMI survey results. The factory PMI is forecast to rise to 49.5 in April from 48.7 in the previous month.

Manufacturing activity in the U.S. expanded for the fourth consecutive month in April, according to a report released by the Institute for Supply Management on Friday. The ISM said its manufacturing PMI came in at 52.7 in April, unchanged from March. While a reading above 50 still indicates growth, economists had expected the index to inch up to 53.0.

UK mortgage approvals rose unexpectedly in March, reaching a four-month high, while consumer credit logged its fastest growth since early 2024, official data showed Friday.
The number of mortgages approved in March rose to 63,531 from 62,708 in the previous month, the Bank of England reported. Approvals were forecast to fall to 60,000.

UK house prices logged a faster growth in April despite geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and rising energy prices, data published by Nationwide Building Society showed Friday. House prices grew by more-than-expected 3.0 percent on a yearly basis in April, following an increase of 2.2 percent in March. Prices were expected to rise again by 2.2 percent.

Mortgage approvals and final manufacturing Purchasing Managers' survey results from the UK are due on Friday. At 2.00 am ET, UK Nationwide house price data is due. House prices are forecast to grow 2.2 percent on a yearly basis in April, the same rate of growth as seen in March.

The Conference Board released a report on Thursday showing a pullback by its reading on leading U.S. economic indicators in the month of March. The report said the leading economic index slid by 0.6 percent in March, more than reversing the 0.3 percent increase in February.

MNI Indicators released a report on Thursday showing is reading on Chicago-area business activity unexpectedly slid into contractionary territory in the month of April. The report said the Chicago business barometer fell to 49.2 in April from 52.8 in March, with a reading below 50 indicating contraction. Economists had expected the business barometer to rise to 55.3.

Consumer prices in the U.S. increased in line with economist estimates in the month of March, according to a report released by the Commerce Department on Thursday. The Commerce Department said its personal consumption expenditures (PCE) price index climbed by 0.7 percent in March after rising by 0.4 in February. Economists had expected prices to increase by 0.7 percent.

A report released by the Commerce Department on Thursday showed U.S. economic growth reaccelerated in the first quarter of 2026 but came in slightly below economist estimates. The Commerce Department said gross domestic product shot up by 2.0 percent in the first quarter after climbing by 0.5 percent in the fourth quarter of 2025. Economists had expected GDP to jump by 2.1 percent.

The European Central Bank left its interest rates unchanged on Thursday, as expected, even as policymakers expressed increasing concern over the impact of the surging energy prices and the intensifying war in the Middle East.

The Labor Department released a report on Thursday showing first-time claims for U.S. unemployment benefits fell by much more than expected in the week ended April 25th. The report said initial jobless claims slid to 189,000, a decrease of 26,000 from the previous week's revised level of 215,000.

The Bank of England left its key interest rate unchanged on Thursday but cautioned that there is a risk of material second-round effects from the energy price shock, caused by the war in the Middle East, which could lead to future rate hikes. The BoE Monetary Policy Committee, led by Governor Andrew Bailey, voted 8-1 to hold the bank rate at 3.75 percent.

The German economy logged an unexpected faster growth in the first quarter, despite challenges posed by the war in the Middle East. Gross domestic product grew 0.3 percent sequentially in the first quarter, slightly faster than the revised 0.2 percent expansion seen in the fourth quarter of 2025, preliminary estimate from Destatis revealed Thursday.