The release of U.S. labor market data last Friday continues to impact trading activities this Monday (May 5, 2025). The non-farm payrolls (NFP) report for April showed an increase of 177,000 jobs, surpassing the forecast from Trading Central of 140,000.
The labor market remains robust despite ongoing uncertainties in the American economy due to the trade war initiated by President Donald Trump.
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GOLD
Gold (XAUUSD) is now facing a two-week decline, having closed last Friday at $3,240.84 per troy ounce. Over the past fortnight, gold has dropped by $86.27 or 826.7 pips.
The decline in gold prices has been fueled by a decrease in trade war tensions. Recent pressure was added by the release of solid labor data from the U.S. A strong labor market diminishes the likelihood of an imminent interest rate cut by the Federal Reserve, which has created a negative sentiment surrounding gold.
This sentiment is expected to continue impacting gold’s movement during the European trading session.
OIL
Oil prices (CLS10) plummeted by $3.08 to $55.31 per barrel following OPEC+’s decision to increase production levels next month. On April 9, this issue caused oil prices to fall to $55.10 per barrel, marking the lowest point since February 2021.
OPEC+, led by Saudi Arabia, officially announced on Saturday that it would raise oil production by 411,000 barrels per day. This increase takes place at a time when the global economy is mired in uncertainty due to the trade war.
As the economy faces potential downturns leading to decreased demand, increased supply exerts significant pressure on oil prices.
EURUSD
EURUSD rose by approximately 470 points (47 pips) in today’s trading, reaching a daily high of 1.13468. The pair received a positive sentiment following last Friday’s release of Eurozone inflation data (Consumer Price Index/CPI).
Core CPI was reported to grow by 2.7% year-on-year (YoY) in April, higher than the previous month’s 2.4% YoY. This release may prompt the European Central Bank (ECB) to adopt a more cautious stance regarding interest rate cuts, which further supports a positive outlook for EURUSD. This sentiment is likely to influence market movements during the European trading session.
GBPUSD
GBPUSD climbed 320 points (32 pips) to 1.33014 during today’s trading after opening with a gap down at 1.32580. This movement indicates that the dollar is still under pressure from ongoing uncertainty in the trade war, particularly between the United States and China.
The stable U.S. labor market provides hope that the economy is still far from recession. However, the continued trade war between the two nations raises concerns that the American economy could decline further in the future.
This sentiment is also expected to have an impact on GBPUSD’s movements during European trading.
USDJPY
USDJPY fell by 958 points (98.5 pips) to 144.011 in today’s trading, reflecting renewed pressure on the U.S. dollar. Last Thursday, USDJPY saw a sharp increase before reversing on Friday.
This downturn is likely a result of profit taking, and this trend may continue in today’s trading session.
Nasdaq
The Nasdaq surged last Friday to 20,198, marking the highest level since March 27. However, in today’s trading, it dropped by 207 index points to 19,991, reinforcing the indication that trade war concerns are still influencing the financial markets.
Given the Nasdaq’s substantial rise last Friday, there is a potential for profit taking occurring during the European trading session.
