Forex Morning Briefing — 18 September 2026

Before the day's releases hit, here is the state of play across the majors. Gold (XAU/USD) gained ground to 4,432 (+0.74%), while USD/ZAR tumbled at 16.23 (-0.92%).

Market snapshot

• EUR/USD 1.1485 (+0.13%)
• GBP/USD 1.3370 (-0.10%)
• USD/JPY 156.92 (+0.58%)
• AUD/USD 0.7131 (+0.61%)
• USD/ZAR 16.23 (-0.92%)
• Gold (XAU/USD) 4,432 (+0.74%)

What's moving markets

• What are the main events for today? *(ForexLive)*
• UK retail sales unexpectedly rise in August, backed by recovery in department stores, non-store retailers *(ForexLive)*
• Why is the Australian Dollar gaining today? *(Investing.com)*
• Asia FX mixed as yen slides despite BOJ rate hike *(Investing.com)*
• Yuan hits 4-year high ahead of Trump-Xi meeting as China broadens clearing *(Investing.com)*

On today's calendar

• Fri 06:30 UTC — JPY BOJ Press Conference (high impact)
• Fri 10:30 UTC — EUR ECB President Lagarde Speaks

Tip of the day: Backtest with real ticks or not at all

Interpolated price data flatters almost every strategy. If the backtest was not run on real tick data with variable spread, treat the equity curve as fiction.

Planning trades around today's events? The prop firm calculator shows how much risk per trade your daily limit actually allows.

*This briefing is generated from live market data and public news feeds for information only. It is not investment advice. Trading forex and CFDs carries a high risk of loss — read our risk disclosure.*