RBA minutes provide no clear guidance. Markets watch second round of US-Iran talks

February 17, 2026

By JustMarkets 

There was no trading on the US stock market on Monday.

European markets ended Monday mixed, maintaining the subdued momentum of the previous week as investors assessed the impact of a strong euro and expectations that benchmark rates will remain unchanged. Germany’s DAX (DE40) declined by 0.46%, France’s CAC 40 (FR40) closed up 0.06%, Spain’s IBEX 35 (ES35) gained 0.99%, and the UK’s FTSE 100 (UK100) closed up 0.26%. Trading activity was low due to holidays in North America and China.

The Swiss franc (CHF) traded around 0.77 per US dollar, remaining near historic highs amid expectations that the Swiss National Bank (SNB) will maintain a loose monetary policy in the near term. Safe-haven demand continues to provide additional support to the currency, though its influence has diminished slightly of late. Preliminary Q4 GDP data showed economic growth of 0.2% following a 0.5% contraction in Q3. This points to the relative resilience of the Swiss economy even under external pressure, including the 39% tariffs imposed by the Donald Trump administration.

On Tuesday, silver (XAG) fell by more than 2% to drop below $76 per ounce, continuing a three-week correction amid low liquidity due to holiday closures in China, Hong Kong, and several other Asian countries. The speculative surge in January, largely driven by Chinese traders, has been replaced by a sharp reversal, prompting regulators to take measures to mitigate market risks. After reaching record levels above $120 in late January, prices fell toward $64 early this month due to the closing of leveraged positions and forced asset liquidations.

West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil prices fluctuated near $63 per barrel on Monday following two consecutive weeks of declines. Markets are monitoring the second round of negotiations between the US and Iran amid an increased US military presence in the region and tough rhetoric from Donald Trump. Iran, for its part, has signaled a readiness to make concessions on its nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief. Despite the geopolitics, pressure on prices persists due to oversupply. OPEC+ nations are discussing a potential production increase in April, while the International Energy Agency confirmed its projections of a significant oil surplus in 2026 and lowered its estimate for global demand growth.


Free Reports:

Sign Up for Our Stock Market Newsletter – Get updated on News, Charts & Rankings of Public Companies when you join our Stocks Newsletter





Get our Weekly Commitment of Traders Reports - See where the biggest traders (Hedge Funds and Commercial Hedgers) are positioned in the futures markets on a weekly basis.





Asian markets traded without a uniform trend last week. Japan’s Nikkei 225 (JP225) fell by 0.24%, China’s FTSE China A50 (CHA50) will not trade for the entire week due to Lunar New Year celebrations, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HK50) rose by 0.52%, and Australia’s ASX 200 (AU200) showed a positive result of 0.22%.

On Tuesday, the Australian dollar (AUD) fell toward $0.70 after the publication of the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) meeting minutes, which provided no clear guidance on the future interest rate trajectory. The regulator emphasized that future decisions will depend on incoming data and the balance of risks, noting that without further tightening, inflation could remain above the 2-3% target range for longer. Markets are now awaiting Q4 wage data and the January labor market report to assess the outlook for inflation and RBA policy.

S&P 500 (US500) 6,836.17 0 (0%)

Dow Jones (US30) 49,500.93 0 (0%)

DAX (DE40) 24,800.91 −113.97 (−0.46%)

FTSE 100 (UK100) 10,473.69 +27.34 (+0.26%)

USD Index 97.07 +0.16% (+0.16%)

News feed for: 2026.02.17

  • Australia RBA Meeting Minutes at 02:30 (GMT+2); – AUD (MED)
  • German Inflation Rate (m/m) at 09:00 (GMT+2); – EUR (MED)
  • UK Claimant Count Change (m/m) at 09:00 (GMT+2); – GBP (HIGH)
  • UK Average Earnings Index (m/m) at 09:00 (GMT+2); – GBP (HIGH)
  • UK Unemployment Rate (m/m) at 09:00 (GMT+2); – GBP (HIGH)
  • Eurozone ZEW Economic Sentiment (m/m) at 12:00 (GMT+2); – EUR (MED)
  • Canada Consumer Price Index (m/m) at 15:30 (GMT+2); – CAD (HIGH)
  • New Zealand Producer Price Index (q/q) at 23:45 (GMT+2). – NZD (MED)

By JustMarkets

 

This article reflects a personal opinion and should not be interpreted as an investment advice, and/or offer, and/or a persistent request for carrying out financial transactions, and/or a guarantee, and/or a forecast of future events.

InvestMacro

Share
Published by
InvestMacro

Recent Posts

Negotiations between the US and Iran have failed. Oil prices are back above 90 dollars per barrel

By JustMarkets  On Wednesday, the US markets received a strong impulse from a combination of…

3 hours ago

USD/JPY Pulls Higher: Yen Doubts Bank of Japan

By Analytical Department RoboForex USD/JPY climbed to 159.36 mid-week, with the Japanese yen losing ground…

3 hours ago

Data centers don’t have to be a burden on local communities – and can even support them by generating power and repurposing waste heat

By Gregor Henze, University of Colorado Boulder and Sean Shaheen, University of Colorado Boulder  Many…

7 hours ago

US government ramps up mass surveillance with help of AI tech, data brokers – and your apps and devices

By Anne Toomey McKenna, Penn State  On a Saturday morning, you head to the hardware…

1 day ago

Signs of economic instability emerge in Oakland County, one of Michigan’s wealthiest

By Grigoris Argeros, Eastern Michigan University and Jordyn Gerwig, Eastern Michigan University  Oakland County, home…

1 day ago

NZD and CAD strengthen amid rising inflationary pressure

By JustMarkets  The US stock market ended Monday’s trading session with moderate declines. By the…

1 day ago

This website uses cookies.