Foreign Exchange Market Update

August 6, 2026

United States (U.S.) Weekly Jobless Claims Inch Up

A report released by the Labor Department on Thursday showed first-time claims for U.S. unemployment benefits crept slightly higher in the week ending on August 1st. The Labor Department said initial jobless claims inched up to 199,000, an increase of 1,000 from the previous week's revised level of 198,000. Meanwhile, the report said the less volatile four-week moving average edged down to 198,750, a decrease of 4,500 from the previous week's revised average of 203,250. 08/06/2026 - 08:35:00 (RTTNews)

Eurozone

Euros traded at 1.1522 against USD at 9:00 AM PST

Eurozone retail sales declined in June after rising moderately in May, suggesting that consumption remains a marginal driver of economic expansion in the second quarter. Retail sales decreased 0.3% from May. Sales increased 0.4% in May but fell 0.4% in April.

Sales of food, drinks, and tobacco fell 0.5% and that of non-food products slid 0.4%. Meanwhile, sales of automotive fuel in specialized stores increased 1.5%. On a yearly basis, retail sales posted an expansion of 0.7%, which was weaker than the prior month's 1.9% increase. Retail sales in the European Union (EU) edged down 0.1% from May but increased 1.2% from the previous year.

Among member states of the EU, the largest monthly decreases in sales volume were reported in Finland, Romania and Germany. Meanwhile, Luxembourg, Portugal, Croatia, and Sweden registered the highest increases. 08/06/2026 - 08:17:00 (RTTNews)

Italy's industrial production declined for the second month straight in June. Industrial output registered a monthly decrease of 1.0% in June, faster than the 0.3% fall in May.

There was a monthly contraction of 2.1% in capital goods output and a 0.9% decline in intermediate goods production. The consumer goods division produced 0.7% less, while energy production continued to grow by 0.8%. On a yearly basis, calendar-adjusted industrial output shrank 0.6%, reversing a 1.2% increase in June. Further, this was the first fall in five months.

Unadjusted industrial output rebounded 2.4% in June, after a 1.8% drop in the prior month. During the first half of the year, total industrial production grew an adjusted 0.5% compared to the same period last year, with a particularly strong increase in the manufacture of transportation equipment. 08/06/2026 - 06:16:00 (RTTNews)

Germany's factory orders logged a stronger growth in June, but the expansion was driven by large scale orders. Factory orders increased 3.1% monthly in June. However, the monthly increase for May was revised down from 1.9% to 0.3%.

Excluding large-scale orders, new orders dropped 0.5% from the previous month. Manufacture of machinery and equipment registered a 12.7% rise in orders. The manufacture of computer, electronic, and optical products posted a strong 22.7% expansion and auto industry grew 3.8%. New orders for capital goods and consumer goods were up 6.4% and 4.2%.

On the other hand, new orders for intermediate goods dropped 2.5%. Foreign orders rose only 0.2% in June as there was a sharp 14.0% decline in orders from the euro area. Orders from outside the euro area moved up 10.2%. At the same time, domestic orders posted a monthly growth of 7.8%. On a yearly basis, growth in new orders accelerated from 4.5% in May to 6.5%. Further, manufacturing turnover was down 1.3% in June, reversing an increase of 0.2% in May. Compared to last year, turnover dropped 0.4%. 08/06/2026 - 08:50:00 (RTTNews)

Spain's industrial production growth eased in June on falling consumer and capital goods output. Industrial output rose 1.1% year-on-year in June, much slower than the 3.1% increase in May. Meanwhile, on an unadjusted basis, annual growth in industrial production accelerated from 0.5% to 3.8%.

Production of consumer goods fell 1.4% and capital goods slid 0.3%. Offsetting these declines, intermediate goods output grew 3.1% and energy production climbed 3.8%. Month-on-month, industrial production registered a drop of 0.7%, reversing a 1.0% rise in May. 08/06/2026 - 03:25:00 (RTTNews)

Taiwan Inflation Eases Slightly to 2.54% in July

Taiwan's consumer price inflation moderated marginally in July from a 17-month high in June. The consumer price index (CPI) rose 2.54% year-on-year in July, slower than the 2.59% rise in June. Moreover, inflation remained above the central bank's target of 2.0%.

The annual price growth in commodity goods eased from 2.49% to 2.32%, and housing inflation slowed from 2.32% to 2.2%. Meanwhile, food inflation climbed from 1.78% to 2.49%. Average domestic gasoline prices remained high, causing the index for fuels and lubricants to rise 11.16%.

The price index for airfares rose due to the fuel surcharge increase, and prices for entertainment services rose 4.35%. On a monthly basis, consumer prices moved up 0.18%. Producer price inflation quickened from 15.52% in June to 16.94% in July. 08/06/2026 - 08:52:00 (RTTNews)