Foreign Exchange Market Update

October 20, 2026

Eurozone

Euro traded at 1.1232 against USD at 9:00 AM PST

The euro area current account surplus fell sharply to its lowest level since early 2023 in August. The current account surplus fell from EUR 27 billion in the previous month to EUR 9 billion. This was the lowest since January 2023, when the surplus was EUR 5.7 billion. The surplus on goods trade declined notably from EUR 34 billion in July to EUR 18 billion. Meanwhile, the surplus on services rose moderately from EUR 12 billion a month ago to EUR 13 billion. The primary income showed a shortfall of EUR 4 billion compared to an EUR 1 billion deficit in the previous month. At the same time, the deficit on secondary income narrowed from EUR 19 billion in July to EUR 18 billion.

In the twelve months to August, the current account surplus totaled EUR 250 billion or 1.5% of euro area GDP, which was down from EUR 290 billion posted a year ago. In the financial account, euro area residents' net acquisitions of non-euro area portfolio investment securities totaled EUR 798 billion, and non-residents' net acquisitions of euro area portfolio investment securities came in at EUR 1,105 billion in the twelve months to August. 10/20/2026 - 08:59:00 (RTTNews)

German economic confidence deteriorated in October as private spending and investment remained weak due to high energy prices. The economic confidence index fell from 34.7 in the previous month to a three-month low of 28.1 in October. The beginning of the fourth quarter presented a mixed sectoral picture. Banks and insurance companies registered substantial decreases in October. The service sector and the telecommunications industry also showed contractions. In contrast, positive signals were visible in the steel and metal manufacturing sectors and in the electronics industry.

Further, assessment of the current situation improved notably in October. The corresponding index climbed from -47.1 in September to -35.9. Economic sentiment in the euro area declined significantly in October. The confidence index dropped from 18.5 in the previous month to 11.2. At the same time, the current situation index fell by 0.9 points to -14.8. 10/20/2026 - 08:39:00 (RTTNews)

United Kingdom Unemployment Rate Drops

British Pound traded at 1.3373 against USD at 9:00 AM PST

The UK unemployment rate declined in the three months to August amid an increase in payroll employment and a moderate rise in pay growth, strengthening prospects for a Bank of England interest rate hike in November. The unemployment rate stood at 4.7% in the June to August period compared to 4.9% in the preceding period. Payroll employees for September increased by 13,000 from last month to 30.3 million.

In the three months to August, average earnings including bonus grew 3.7% from a year ago. A similar slower increase was last reported during August to October 2020. Average earnings excluding bonus also increased 3.7%, slightly bigger than the forecast of 3.6%. Vacancies decreased by 21,000 to 691,000 during July to September compared with April to June. This was the largest quarterly fall from January to March 2026 as firms reduced recruiting due to higher labor costs. 10/20/2026 - 09:59:00 (RTTNews)

Taiwan Export Order Growth Eases to 62.4%

Taiwan's export order growth remained strong in September. Export orders surged 62.4% year-over-year in September, though slower than the 71.4% jump in August. In July, orders were 61.9% higher. Orders for information and communication products alone grew 87.3% from last year. Demand for electronic products advanced 71.0%, and 73.0% more orders were received for mineral products. Meanwhile, orders for optical, photographic, and cinematographic apparatus declined by 5.6%. Monthly, export orders increased by 10.9% in September after rising by 5.1% in August. 10/20/2026 - 07:06:00 (RTTNews)