04 Jun

How you map numbers in your mind isn’t universal, even among people who read the same language

By Olga Lazareva, Drake University and Reggie Gazes, Bucknell University 

Imagine taking out a 12-inch ruler and finding that the number 12 is on the left side and the number 1 is on the right side. For most native English speakers, this would be disorienting. We are used to seeing the numbers move from smallest to largest, from left to right. When this layout flips, people struggle because the numbers are now in the “wrong” place.

Psychologists have long known that people in Western cultures tend to associate smaller numbers with the left side of space and larger numbers with the right, a phenomenon called the SNARC effect – short for Spatial-Numerical Association of Response Codes.

In the lab, researchers like us test this tendency by asking people to press a left or a right button when shown a numerical digit. Native English speakers are generally quicker to press left for small numbers and right for large numbers because these locations match our mental number line.

But here’s the twist: What feels like the “correct” direction depends on where you grew up and where you live. In places with right-to-left languages like Arabic, the pattern often flips: People are faster to press right for small numbers and left for large numbers. Speakers of Farsi, a right-to-left language, who were born in Iran but move to France gradually shift toward a left-to-right mapping the longer they stay.

Even literacy matters. On average, people who never learned to read or count don’t show the effect at all. Researchers aren’t sure why. Maybe these people do not map numbers to space. Or maybe each individual has their own different orientation – left-to-right vs. right-to-left – that wash each other out when investigators average them all together.

Although people in Western cultures are used to seeing numbers increase left to right on keypads, rulers or classroom number lines, the SNARC effect isn’t limited to numbers. In the lab, similar left-to-right patterns appear with other magnitudes, including size, height and brightness.

A key question is the origin of the SNARC effect. Some researchers point to brain lateralization: the differences in how the left and right sides of the brain are wired and used. Others suggest it is a broader cognitive habit: When people line things up, they prefer to sort them in an order that makes sense for them. For example, if you are comparing 5 inches to 9 inches, you might think of 5 on the left and 9 on the right. But if you were comparing 5 o’clock to 9 o’clock, you might think of 5 on the right and 9 on the left, based on the face of an analog clock.

But culture matters, too: Cultural experience learning that “small” is on the left and “large” is on the right results in a stronger SNARC effect. It’s therefore not yet clear where the SNARC effect comes from because in humans, biology and culture are all tangled up.

Do other animals have mental number lines?

Our field of study is comparative cognition. We study how primates and birds make sense of the world: how they think, learn and remember. Animals share many cognitive processes with humans, but lack cultural experiences like reading, writing and counting, making them ideal subjects for investigating this number-line question.

We and other researchers in our field started by developing a SNARC task for nonhuman animals. We showed orangutans and gorillas two sets of dots on a touchscreen, one on the left and the other on the right. If these animals naturally associate “less” with left and “more” with right, then on average they should have been more accurate and faster at picking out the smaller set when it appeared on the left than when it appeared on the right. But that is not what happened.

Orangutan reaches fingers through fencing toward a computer screen; white bird faces a blue computer screen.
An orangutan and a pigeon select the smaller number of dots on a touchscreen computer task meant to measure the SNARC effect – how they map quantities onto space.
Reggie Gazes and Olga Lazareva

Looking closer at the individuals, we saw why: Some apes showed a left-to-right pattern and others preferred right-to-left. These individual preferences canceled each other out in our overall averaged results. This split suggested that apes, like humans, do organize magnitudes in space. But without cultural cues like reading or counting direction, each animal developed its own preferred ordering direction.

We and others have since replicated the original study in rhesus monkeys, pigeons and blue jays and our ongoing, not yet peer-reviewed study with chickens. In all of these cases, there’s strong evidence for spatial representation of magnitude, along with clear individual differences in direction.

Number-line direction may not be so clear-cut

Finding so much variability in animals made us think: Might individual people also differ more than the averages suggest? Many SNARC studies report only average scores combining all the people tested, making it hard to see whether individual people vary like other animals do.

So we ran a new study in which native English speakers from the United States judged different magnitudes ranging from Arabic numerals to dot quantities and the brightness of a square. The averages showed the expected left-to-right pattern. But individuals often didn’t.

Nearly a quarter of participants judging dot quantities showed a right-to-left pattern, contradicting their reading and counting history. When judging brightness of a square, the split was almost 50/50, erasing the average effect altogether, just like in animals.

Our results suggest that the SNARC effect isn’t a universal rule etched into human brains by culture. Instead, it looks more like a flexible way of thinking that can vary among individuals, species – or even from task to task in the same person. Some people like arranging things left-to-right, others prefer right-to-left, and the same is true of animals.

By looking beyond averages, we see a richer story: Minds can be flexible and inventive, whether they belong to apes, birds or humans.The Conversation

About the Authors:

Olga Lazareva, Professor of Psychology, Drake University and Reggie Gazes, Associate Professor of Psychology, Bucknell University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Economics & Fundamentals Opinions
04 Jun

Scientists used a method from ecology to identify whether icy moons could hold conditions for life

By Gideon Yoffe, Weizmann Institute of Science 

New observatories and spacecraft missions are probing environments in our solar system that could potentially host life but have long remained hidden. Icy moons like Saturn’s Enceladus and Jupiter’s Europa likely contain oceans beneath frozen outer shells. But a layer of ice prohibits space probes from sampling them directly.

Exploring these icy moons is almost forensic: Their surfaces keep a partial record of inaccessible interiors. Scientists need tools that can help them figure out whether evidence of life lies beneath without observing it directly.

I’m a planetary scientist, and my colleagues and I have developed a tool that could help evaluate whether an environment has the right conditions for life, based on patterns in the types of molecules found in a sample.

Looking for life’s fingerprints

The search for life often begins with organic molecules: the carbon-based molecules from which life on Earth is built. Two especially important families of molecules are amino acids, which cells use to build proteins, and fatty acids, which help form cell membranes.

Yet these molecules are not unique to life – they can also form through nonbiological chemistry. Scientists have previously detected them in asteroids and meteorites.

Because detecting amino acids or fatty acids in a planetary environment alone will not tell researchers whether they are produced by life or by nonlife, they must seek additional evidence.

One clue is molecular handedness, or “chirality.” Certain amino acids occur in two mirror-image forms. Nonbiological processes often produce both forms in similar amounts, whereas life on Earth uses almost exclusively the left-handed forms. A strong excess of one form can point toward biology.

Another clue is found in the balance between the heavier and lighter forms of the same element within molecules. Usually, life prefers to use the lighter form.

Both of these clues are powerful indicators but difficult to measure in space. They require sensitive instruments, clean samples and often more material than a spacecraft can obtain.

That said, current and planned missions may provide a more limited – but still valuable – kind of measurement: a list of molecules and the proportions in which they are found. Our study demonstrates how researchers can use this simpler information to learn more about the molecules’ chemical origin.

Future missions may sample environments that could host life, such as Saturn’s moon Enceladus.
Jason Major, Cassini spacecraft/Flickr, CC BY-NC-SA

Investigating diversity

Life does not merely produce certain molecules – it produces them in arrangements of unique patterns. Living systems invest energy into making molecules that serve specific functions, even when those molecules are complex and harder to form. Proteins, for example, require a broad set of amino acids, including relatively complex ones. Nonbiological chemistry can also make amino acids, but typically it makes simpler ones.

A chemical diagram showing the general structure of an amino acid.
Your body requires many different amino acids to live. But nonliving chemical processes can also produce amino acids, so their presence in a sample doesn’t definitively prove life.

In our study, we investigated whether these molecules leave a statistical pattern that could serve as a biosignature: a measurable clue that may point toward life.

To quantify this idea, we used a method from ecology called diversity theory. Ecologists do not only ask how many species exist in a particular ecosystem, but also how those species are distributed: whether the community is dominated by a few very common species or by many species occurring in comparable numbers. The point of diversity theory is to both compile a list of species and capture the prevalence of each.

We applied the same logic to molecules. Within a family, such as amino acids, we treated each molecule like a species in an ecological community and measured its abundance. We wanted to know: Is a given mixture of molecules distributed evenly across different types or dominated by only a few of them? And could that pattern reflect the process that produced those molecules, whether biological or nonbiological?

Testing the framework

To test this idea, we compiled a deliberately broad dataset that included amino acids from a variety of sources: meteorites, samples from asteroid missions, laboratory simulations of nonbiological chemistry, modern organisms, sediments, ancient fossils and samples from various environments on Earth. We later did the same with fatty acids.

For amino acids, we found a clear distinction. The biological samples tended to contain many complex amino acids, in proportions similar to those of simpler ones. Nonbiological samples were usually sparser – that is, more strongly dominated by simple molecules.

This result makes sense. If biology can overcome the chemical bottlenecks necessary to create more complex molecules, you’d expect to see more of those molecules. On the other hand, nonbiological chemistry is more limited and dominated by molecules that form randomly. Complex molecules are far less likely to form under nonbiological conditions.

Fatty acids showed an opposite but equally informative pattern. Chains of fatty acids make up the outer membranes of living cells. We found that in biological samples, the fatty acid chains were all a similar length. In contrast, nonbiological samples had a wider distribution of chain lengths.

A chemical structure diagram of a fatty acid
Fatty acids are chains of molecules made up of carbon and hydrogen, with oxygen at the end.
Innerstream/Wikimedia Commons

Even though, unlike the amino acid results, the nonbiological samples showed greater fatty acid diversity, this chain length finding supported the main idea behind our research: Life shapes molecular mixtures according to function.

Taken together, our results suggest that molecular diversity can serve as a new kind of biosignature. It cannot prove the presence of life on its own, and it should be interpreted alongside other measurements. But it offers a practical way to use the kind of data spacecraft are most likely to obtain: the proportions of molecules.

Searching for life in the solar system and beyond

Future spacecraft are unlikely to find pristine biological material, even if it exists. More likely, they will encounter the chemical traces of molecules, altered by the harsh conditions on planetary surfaces.

Next, we wanted to know how long the diversity signal could survive in the type of harsh environment where scientists may look, such as the surface of Europa. Its surface is continually being bombarded by energetic particles trapped in Jupiter’s magnetic field, which can break different organic molecules apart at different rates.

An illustration of a spacecraft flying over an ice-covered moon.
NASA’s Europa Clipper mission will fly around the moon of Jupiter and take measurements to investigate whether it could harbor life.
NASA/JPL-Caltech

We modeled how these molecules would degrade under such conditions and found that the diversity signal could remain recognizable for thousands of years when the molecules are buried under a few centimeters of ice. The signal is not indestructible, but it does not require an exceptionally fresh sample.

Our results suggest that in some cases the pattern left by life may still be recognizable even after the individual molecules have begun to break down.

The take-home message from our study is that life organizes chemistry in ways that could persist even after those ingredients are altered. Living systems arrange molecules according to biological needs, while nonbiological chemistry usually follows what is easiest to produce. If this organization can survive in planetary materials, future spacecraft may search not only for the building blocks of life but for the deeper statistical pattern that life leaves behind.The Conversation

About the Author:

Gideon Yoffe, Postdoctoral Fellow in Planetary Science, Weizmann Institute of Science

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

 

Economics & Fundamentals Opinions
04 Jun

The escalation of the conflict in the Middle East put pressure on US and European stock indices

By JustMarkets 

The US stock indices retreated from their historical highs amid a new wave of escalation in the Middle Eastern crisis. By the end of the day, the Dow Jones (US30) Index fell by 1.21%. The S&P 500 (US500) Index declined by 0.74%. The Technology‑heavy NASDAQ (US100) closed down by 0.29%.

The direct exchange of military strikes between the US and Iran affected third countries in the Persian Gulf, disrupting the fragile ceasefire and prolonging the naval blockade of key energy routes. A simultaneous surge in oil and fuel prices triggered a sharp jump in US Treasury yields across the curve, while strong macroeconomic data, including the May ADP report (122,000 new jobs versus the prognosis of 110,000) and the ISM services PMI with its price component at a four‑year high, finally convinced investors that the Federal Reserve will be forced to keep interest rates at a tight, restrictive level for an extended period. This macroeconomic backdrop triggered a large‑scale flight from risk assets, hitting the technology and financial sectors the hardest. Shares of major software companies entered a deep correction: Oracle and Palantir plunged more than 5%, while Microsoft’s market capitalization fell by 3%.

Bitcoin continued to decline, dropping to the $61,000 mark, its lowest level since the escalation of the conflict with Iran in late February, before trimming losses to around $64,000. Since Strategy Inc. sold part of its large bitcoin holdings worth about $2.5 million, the digital assets has fallen by roughly 16%. The company is one of the largest corporate bitcoin holders and is widely viewed as a representative of the digital assets management model. Bitcoin is now down more than 50% from its peak above $126,000 reached in October of last year. US-listed bitcoin exchange‑traded funds (ETFs) also recorded nearly $4 billion in outflows over 12 consecutive sessions – a record streak.
The Organization for Economic Co‑operation and Development (OECD) published an updated macroeconomic report in which it sharply downgraded its global growth expectation for the current year from the previous 3.4% to 2.8%, while keeping its 2027 estimate unchanged at 3.1%. The revision is directly linked to the prolonged Middle Eastern crisis. The key factors weighing on global activity in the coming years will be entrenched increases in energy prices, supply shortages, tight financial conditions due to high central bank rates, and a general decline in business confidence.

European indices were under pressure yesterday. By the end of the day, Germany’s DAX (DE40) fell by 1.31%, France’s CAC 40 (FR40) closed down by 0.71%, Spain’s IBEX 35 (ES35) declined by 0.53%, and the UK’s FTSE 100 (UK100) finished the session down by 0.40%.

European stock indices closed with notable losses as persistent inflation concerns were compounded by a new wave of global protectionism from Washington. The Donald Trump administration threatened to impose additional import tariffs of up to 12.5% on several trading partners due to ineffective oversight of goods produced using forced labor. This tariff threat instantly revived trade barriers between the US and the EU, coinciding with another escalation in the Middle East, where new armed clashes between Iran and the Gulf monarchies effectively derailed the fragile ceasefire. Against this backdrop, the banking sector – highly sensitive to rising systemic risks – came under the strongest pressure: shares of Italy’s UniCredit, Spain’s BBVA, and Germany’s Deutsche Bank plunged between 2% and 3.7% lower.

Prices for US WTI crude oil extended their rally, rising more than 2% to $95.7 per barrel amid a combination of severe domestic supply shortages in the US and a critical escalation in the Middle East. The main local trigger for the bulls was the latest weekly report from the Energy Information Administration (EIA), which recorded a sixth consecutive decline in US commercial crude inventories – this time by 7.97 million barrels. This drop not only doubled analysts’ consensus expectations of a 4‑million‑barrel decrease but also became the largest weekly outflow from US storage facilities since February of this year, revealing a significant physical supply shortfall in the market. At the same time, commodity traders priced a geopolitical risk premium into the barrel, completely ignoring another wave of verbal optimism from Washington. US President Donald Trump publicly stated that Iran had allegedly agreed to abandon its pursuit of nuclear weapons. However, the real situation in the region only worsened: overnight, direct clashes between US and Iranian forces were the fiercest since the ceasefire was announced, with Kuwaiti and Bahraini territories caught in the crossfire.

In Asia on Wednesday, Japan’s Nikkei 225 (JP225) rose by 2.50%, China’s FTSE China A50 closed up by 0.46%, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HK50) fell by 1.56%, and Australia’s ASX 200 (AU200) gained 0.70%.

The Australian dollar remained below the 0.715 USD mark. The national currency received local support from strong domestic data: Australia’s April trade balance returned to a surplus of 1.79 billion AUD after a March deficit of 1.02 billion, driven by a sharp surge in iron ore and coal exports while imports remained stable. At the same time, earlier this week, weak Q1 GDP data confirmed that the three rounds of monetary tightening by the Reserve Bank of Australia this year have already begun effectively cooling domestic consumer demand and restraining underlying price pressures.

S&P 500 (US500) 7,553.68 −56.10 (−0.74%)

Dow Jones (US30) 50,687.07 −620.72 (−1.21%)

DAX (DE40) 24,795.94 −328.23 (−1.31%)

FTSE 100 (UK100) 10,332.30 −41.21 (−0.40%)

USD Index 99.53 +0.31 (+0.31%)

News feed for: 2026.06.04

  • Australia Trade Balance (m/m) at 04:30 (GMT+3) – AUD (MED)
  • Australia RBA Gov Bullock Speaks at 08:00 (GMT+3) – AUD (LOW)
  • Sweden Inflation Rate (m/m) at 09:00 (GMT+3) – SEK (MED)
  • Switzerland Consumer Price Index (m/m) at 09:30 (GMT+3) – CHF (HIGH)
  • Switzerland Unemployment Rate (m/m) at 10:00 (GMT+3) – CHF (MED)
  • Eurozone Retail Sales (m/m) at 12:00 (GMT+3) – EUR (LOW)
  • US Initial Jobless Claims (w/w) at 15:30 (GMT+3) – USD (MED)
  • US Natural Gas Storage (w/w) at 17:30 (GMT+3) – XNG (HIGH)
  • UK BOE Gov Bailey Speaks at 18:40 (GMT+3) – GBP (LOW)

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.

Economics & Fundamentals Financial News
04 Jun

Gold Remains Under Pressure, but a Rebound Is Still Possible

By Analytical Department RoboForex

Gold prices rose to 4,472 USD per troy ounce on Thursday. Despite the modest rebound, the precious metal is still attempting to recover from a weekly decline of nearly 2%.

Pressure on gold continues to build as expectations grow that major central banks, including the Federal Reserve, may need to maintain tighter monetary policy to combat inflation. Much of this concern stems from the recent surge in energy prices.

An additional negative factor has been the renewed escalation of tensions in the Middle East. Prospects for a near-term agreement between the US and Iran have deteriorated significantly following a fresh exchange of strikes between the two sides. Bahrain and Kuwait have also become involved in the conflict, marking the most serious escalation since the ceasefire was introduced in early April.

Ongoing tensions and de facto restrictions on shipping through the Strait of Hormuz are keeping oil prices elevated, increasing inflation risks and reinforcing expectations that interest rates will remain higher for longer.

Further support for this view came from comments made by Cleveland Federal Reserve Bank President Beth Hammack. According to Hammack, the Fed may be forced to raise interest rates again if inflationary pressures continue to intensify.

Investor attention is now firmly focused on Friday’s Non-Farm Payrolls report. US labour market data could significantly influence expectations regarding future Federal Reserve policy and, consequently, the outlook for gold.

Technical Analysis

On the H4 XAU/USD chart, the market is trading within a consolidation range around the 4,478 USD level after a retest from below. A move lower towards 4,360 USD is expected, followed by a corrective rebound towards 4,420 USD. After that, the market may resume its decline towards 4,238 USD, with scope for a further move to 4,180 USD. The MACD indicator confirms the current bearish momentum, with the signal line below the centre line and pointing firmly downwards.

On the H1 chart, the market has broken below the 4,478 USD level and moved lower towards 4,422 USD. A corrective rebound towards 4,478 USD as a retest from below remains possible before another decline towards 4,250 USD. A subsequent recovery towards 4,390 USD may follow. The Stochastic oscillator supports this scenario, with the signal line below the 80 level and pointing downwards towards 20, indicating persistent downside pressure.

Conclusion

Gold remains vulnerable to further losses as elevated energy prices, geopolitical tensions, and expectations of tighter monetary policy continue to weigh on sentiment. However, short-term corrective rebounds remain possible, particularly as investors await key US labour market data that could reshape expectations for the Federal Reserve.

 

Disclaimer

Any forecasts contained herein are based on the author’s particular opinion. This analysis may not be treated as trading advice. RoboForex bears no responsibility for trading results based on trading recommendations and reviews contained herein.

Financial News Forex and Currency News
03 Jun

Bitcoin drops below the psychological $70,000 level. The US stock indices hit new record highs

By JustMarkets 

The major US stock indices continued to rise. By the end of the session, the Dow Jones (US30) gained 0.45%, the S&P 500 (US500) increased 0.13%, and the tech‑heavy Nasdaq (US100) closed 0.48% higher. The leading US benchmarks once again renewed their all‑time highs, with the S&P 500 closing above the symbolic 7,600‑point mark for the first time in history, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average added more than 200 points. Powerful investor optimism surrounding the artificial intelligence and semiconductor infrastructure sectors completely overshadowed the persistent geopolitical uncertainty in the Middle East.

The true sensation of the day was Marvell Technology, whose shares surged 32%. The rally was triggered by a public statement from Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, who suggested that Marvell has a real chance of becoming the next technology company to reach a $1 trillion market capitalization. Shares of Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) jumped 19% after the company sharply raised its sales and profit expectations, citing exponential growth in demand for AI‑server infrastructure.

Bitcoin (BTC/USD) posted a notable decline, falling more than 2% and dropping below the psychological $70,000 threshold – its lowest level since April 8. The market was surprised by news that Strategy Inc., known for its long‑standing aggressive accumulation of digital gold, executed a symbolic sale of roughly $2.5 million worth of Bitcoin – its first sale since late 2022. Although the amount is relatively small, the very fact that the company deviated from its pure HODL strategy sparked serious concerns about the sustainability of corporate treasury demand for digital assets. Additional pressure came from the ongoing liquidity crunch in the regulated sector: US spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded 11 consecutive sessions of net outflows, losing a total of approximately $3.45-3.5 billion.

European indices also posted solid gains yesterday. Germany’s DAX (DE40) rose 0.48%, France’s CAC 40 (FR40) closed 0.77% higher, Spain’s IBEX 35 (ES35) gained 0.48%, and the UK’s FTSE 100 (UK100) ended the session 0.33% higher. The main driver of stabilization across European markets was fresh commentary from the White House. US President Donald Trump publicly confirmed that diplomatic channels with Tehran remain open and suggested that a temporary 60‑day agreement to unblock the Strait of Hormuz could be signed as early as next week. Optimism strengthened further after confirmation that a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon had come into effect.

However, the potential for a stronger rally was limited by internal EU macroeconomic factors. Preliminary Eurostat estimates showed a further acceleration of eurozone inflation in May, driven primarily by extreme volatility in oil and gas prices. The latest release confirmed persistent price pressures in the region and reinforced market expectations that Christine Lagarde will move forward with an ECB rate hike (the probability of an increase next week exceeds 90%).

WTI crude oil prices showed elevated volatility in the $92-95 per barrel range. The commodity market shifted into consolidation mode after a powerful rally the previous day, when prices jumped 5.5% following Iran’s threat to completely shut down the Strait of Hormuz in response to escalating tensions in Lebanon. The main source of uncertainty remains the unclear prospects of a temporary peace agreement between Washington and Tehran. President Trump maintains strong optimism, stating that diplomatic contacts are progressing and that a memorandum of understanding guaranteeing the reopening of the Strait could be signed as early as next week. Meanwhile, Iranian state media present a sharply different narrative, expressing deep skepticism about any progress and accusing Washington of aiding Israeli attacks.

In Asia on Monday, Japan’s Nikkei 225 (JP225) fell 0.30%, China’s FTSE China A50 closed 2.09% higher, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HK50) gained 2.52%, while Australia’s ASX 200 (AU200) slipped 0.06%.

The People’s Bank of China (PBoC) officially announced its decision to completely halt reverse‑repo operations, citing the current funding needs of primary dealers within standard open‑market procedures. This move marks a historic precedent, as the Chinese regulator refrained from injecting short‑term liquidity through this tool for the first time since August 2024. The effective zeroing of reverse‑repo volumes clearly indicates that monetary authorities consider liquidity levels in the national banking system fully sufficient, eliminating the need for additional emergency injections and confirming the stability of China’s domestic financial sector.

S&P 500 (US500) 7,609.78 +9.82% (+0.13%)

Dow Jones (US30) 51,307.79 +228.91 (+0.45%)

DAX (DE40) 25,124.17 +121.13 (+0.48%)

FTSE 100 (UK100) 10,373.51 +34.56 (+0.33%)

USD Index 99.20 -0.01 (-0.01%)

News feed for: 2026.06.03

  • Australia Services PMI (m/m) at 02:00 (GMT+3) – AUD (MED)
  • Japan Services PMI (m/m) at 03:30 (GMT+3) – JPY (MED)
  • Australia GDP (q/q) at 04:30 (GMT+3) – AUD (MED)
  • RatingDog China Services PMI (m/m) at 04:45 (GMT+3) – CHA50, HK50 (MED)
  • German Services PMI (m/m) at 10:55 (GMT+3) – EUR (LOW)
  • Eurozone Services PMI (m/m) at 11:00 (GMT+3) – EUR (MED)
  • UK Services PMI (m/m) at 11:30 (GMT+3) – GBP (LOW)
  • Japan BOJ Gov Ueda Speaks at 11:30 (GMT+3) – JPY (LOW)
  • Eurozone Producer Price Index (m/m) at 12:00 (GMT+3) – EUR (LOW)
  • US ADP Nonfarm Employment Change (m/m) at 15:15 (GMT+3) – USD (MED)
  • US ISM Services PMI (m/m) at 17:00 (GMT+3) – USD (MED)
  • US Crude Oil Reserves (w/w) at 17:30 (GMT+3) – WTI (HIGH)

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.

Economics & Fundamentals Financial News
03 Jun

EUR/USD on Edge as Markets Await Key Employment Data

By Analytical Department RoboForex

EUR/USD remained under pressure on Wednesday, holding at 1.1629. The US dollar continues to draw support from difficulties in negotiations between the US and Iran, as well as a renewed escalation of tensions in the Middle East, which has increased demand for safe-haven assets.

According to the US Central Command, Iran launched ballistic missiles towards neighbouring states. In response, US forces carried out strikes on targets on Qeshm Island following alleged attacks linked to Tehran.

The ongoing conflict has kept energy prices elevated, fuelling concerns about inflation and reinforcing expectations that interest rates may remain higher for longer than previously anticipated.

Additional support for the dollar came from US labour market data. Figures released on Tuesday showed that job openings rose to their highest level in nearly two years in April, while layoffs declined. The data highlighted the resilience of the US economy despite ongoing geopolitical and economic uncertainties.

Investor attention is now turning to the ADP report, which may provide further insight into labour market conditions.

However, the key event of the week remains Friday’s Non-Farm Payrolls report, which could offer important clues regarding the Federal Reserve’s next policy steps.

Technical Analysis

On the H4 EUR/USD chart, the pair is trading within a consolidation range around 1.1635, currently extending between 1.1605 and 1.1654. A move lower towards 1.1585 is likely. The MACD indicator supports this scenario, with its signal line below zero and pointing firmly downwards, reflecting

On the H1 chart, EUR/USD has reached 1.1655 and is now moving lower towards 1.1585. A corrective rebound to 1.1636 may follow, before a further decline towards 1.1555. The Stochastic oscillator confirms this outlook, with its signal line around the 50 level and pointing downwards towards 20.

Conclusion

EUR/USD remains under pressure as geopolitical tensions and strong US labour market data continue to support the dollar. With the ADP report and Friday’s Non-Farm Payrolls release approaching, traders are likely to remain cautious. At the same time, technical indicators suggest a bias towards further short-term weakness in the pair.

 

Disclaimer

Any forecasts contained herein are based on the author’s particular opinion. This analysis may not be treated as trading advice. RoboForex bears no responsibility for trading results based on trading recommendations and reviews contained herein.

Financial News Forex and Currency News
02 Jun

Oil prices surged again amid rumors of a freeze in diplomacy between the United States and Iran

By JustMarkets 

The main US stock indices started the summer with confident gains. By the end of the day, the Dow Jones (US30) rose by 0.26%. The S&P 500 (US500) increased by 0.09%. The Tech‑heavy NASDAQ (US100) closed higher by 0.60%. Powerful fuel for buying came from new geopolitical statements by the White House and a loud technological announcement in the artificial intelligence sector. The main locomotive of the market rally was the technology sector, where Nvidia produced a real sensation. Its shares jumped 6.3% after the official presentation of the new RTX Spark superchip, which marks the corporation’s aggressive entry into the mass personal computer market. Nvidia’s success instantly triggered a chain reaction across the entire IT complex.

On Monday, by the end of the day, Germany’s DAX (DE40) fell by 0.40%, France’s CAC 40 (FR40) closed down by 0.45%, Spain’s IBEX 35 (ES35) declined by 0.97%, and the UK’s FTSE 100 (UK100) ended the session lower by 0.68%. The main trigger for the market reversal into the red zone was alarming reports from the Middle East that the Iranian delegation had unilaterally halted indirect negotiations with the United States. Tehran responded with this demarche to Israel’s large‑scale expansion of its military operation in Lebanon. The situation worsened after official statements from Iran, in which it not only threatened a total military blockade of the strategically important Strait of Hormuz but also promised to extend its countermeasures to the Bab el‑Mandeb Strait near the Horn of Africa in response to alleged violations of the ceasefire.

Oil prices ended the first trading day of June with a powerful rally: US WTI crude jumped by 6%, settling above $92 per barrel. During the session, the market nearly entered panic mode when WTI quotes spiked more than 8% intraday. The catalyst for the price shock was publications in Iranian state media claiming that Tehran was fully freezing any contacts with Washington in response to new military strikes in Lebanon and was beginning preparations for a total shutdown of the Strait of Hormuz. The risk of an immediate loss of one‑fifth of global hydrocarbon supplies pushed geopolitical risk premiums to the maximum. The unprecedented intraday overheating of prices was cooled only by US President Donald Trump personally. In his special statement, he said that Israel and Hezbollah had reached an agreement on a mutual ceasefire in Lebanon, and that diplomatic dialogue with Iran, contrary to rumors, was continuing.

The US natural gas prices showed a notable correction, dropping more than 3% and falling below $3.2 per MMBtu (million British thermal units). Thus, “blue fuel” retreated from the local high of $3.29 reached in the previous session amid profit‑taking and traders reassessing the supply‑demand balance. Despite the daily decline, May turned out to be extremely successful for the US gas market: by the end of the month, prices surged 18.9%, fully offsetting April’s 4.1% drop.
In Asia on Monday, Japan’s Nikkei 225 (JP225) rose by 0.91%, China’s FTSE China A50 closed lower by 1.06%, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HK50) gained 0.86%, and Australia’s ASX 200 (AU200) fell by 0.03%.

The offshore yuan showed confident strengthening, reaching around 6.76 yuan per dollar. The Chinese currency approached its highest levels since February 2023. Against the backdrop of a sharp escalation of the geopolitical crisis around Iran, international investors increasingly began redirecting capital into Chinese assets, viewing them as a relatively safe haven. China’s leadership traditionally strives for strict exchange‑rate stability to prevent excessive appreciation of national exports amid a stagnating industrial PMI. This defensive stance of the monetary authorities is clearly reflected in the regulator’s actions: the People’s Bank of China continues to set daily reference fixings at levels noticeably weaker than market expectations.

S&P 500 (US500) 7,599.96 +0.26% (+19.90)

Dow Jones (US30) 51,078.88 +46.42 (+0.09%)

DAX (DE40) 25,003.04 -101.66 (-0.40%)

FTSE 100 (UK100) 10,338.95 -70.33 (-0.68%)

USD Index 99.18 +0.27 (+0.27%)

News feed for: 2026.06.02

  • Switzerland Trade Balance (m/m) at 09:00 (GMT+3) – CHF (LOW)
  • Eurozone Consumer Price Index (m/m) at 12:00 (GMT+3) – EUR (MED)
  • UK BOE Gov Bailey Speaks at 17:00 (GMT+3) – GBP (LOW)
  • US JOLTs Job Openings (m/m) at 17:00 (GMT+3) – USD (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.

Economics & Fundamentals Financial News
02 Jun

GBP/USD in a State of Uncertainty: Risks Remain, but Market Reactions Are Muted

By Analytical Department RoboForex

GBP/USD showed little movement on Tuesday, holding steady at 1.3453. The pound remains within its established trading range as investors continue to assess the progress of negotiations between the US and Iran and their potential impact on the global economy.

Talks between Washington and Tehran are ongoing, but fresh incidents in the Persian Gulf have renewed doubts about the swift restoration of normal shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. The waterway remains one of the most important routes for global oil and gas supplies.

Oil prices rose on Monday, although Brent crude recorded its largest monthly decline since March 2020 in May, falling nearly 20%. Despite this correction, oil prices remain approximately 30% higher than pre-conflict levels, keeping inflation risks elevated.

This dynamic is particularly significant for the UK. The British economy is considerably more dependent on energy imports than the US, meaning higher oil and gas prices are transmitted more quickly into business costs and consumer spending.

The pound continues to benefit from relatively high interest rates. Earlier in the year, markets had expected two rate cuts from the Bank of England. However, following the surge in energy prices, investors have begun pricing in the possibility of further policy tightening to contain inflation.

The market is now factoring in roughly one Bank of England rate increase before the end of the year and is partially pricing in the possibility of a second move.

However, Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey struck a more dovish tone last week. He suggested that a temporary overshoot of the Bank’s 2% inflation target does not necessarily warrant an immediate increase in interest rates. This shift in tone has reduced expectations of aggressive policy action in the coming months.

Technical Analysis

On the H4 GBP/USD chart, the pair is trading within a broad consolidation range above 1.3417, currently extending up to 1.3508 and down to 1.3406. A breakout above the range could open the way for further gains towards 1.3533, while a downside breakout could pave the way for a move towards 1.3290. The MACD indicator supports this scenario, with its signal line above zero and pointing firmly upwards.

On the H1 chart, GBP/USD is trading within a narrower consolidation range around 1.3470, recently extending down to 1.3406. The next expected move is a rise towards 1.3533. The Stochastic oscillator supports this scenario, with its signal line above 50 and pointing upwards towards 80.

Conclusion

GBP/USD remains range-bound as investors weigh geopolitical risks, energy-driven inflation concerns, and the outlook for Bank of England policy. While the pound continues to draw support from expectations of relatively high interest rates, the market remains cautious, awaiting clearer signals from both policymakers and global developments.

 

Disclaimer

Any forecasts contained herein are based on the author’s particular opinion. This analysis may not be treated as trading advice. RoboForex bears no responsibility for trading results based on trading recommendations and reviews contained herein.

Financial News Forex and Currency News
01 Jun

The US stock indices once again finished the trading session at new all‑time highs

By JustMarkets 

By the end of the day, the Dow Jones Index (US30) rose by 0.72% (up +1.49% for the week). The S&P 500 Index (US500) gained 0.37% (up +1.80% for the week). The Technology‑heavy NASDAQ Index (US100) closed higher by 0.20% (up +2.58% for the week).

On Friday, May 29, 2026, US stock indices ended the session at new historical highs, recording phenomenal results for the entire month. The main triumph of May was the Technology‑focused NASDAQ, which jumped more than 8% over the month. The broad‑market S&P 500 added 5% in May, while the industrial Dow Jones rose 3%. A powerful long‑term driver for the equity market was another wave of AI euphoria, supported by strong corporate news. Shares of IT giant Dell posted an incredible surge of +33% as the company sharply raised its profit and revenue expectations thanks to an avalanche‑like increase in demand for its artificial‑intelligence server equipment.

In turn, Oracle (+10%) and Microsoft (+5%) received a strong investment boost amid news of a new funding round for the startup Anthropic, confirming the continued resilience of the AI trend. At the same time, the stock market was supported by a local improvement in the geopolitical backdrop. Reports that the US and Iran had agreed on a 60‑day memorandum to extend the ceasefire and unblock the Strait of Hormuz (although the document is still awaiting Donald Trump’s signature) led to a decline in energy prices and US Treasury yields.

The Canadian dollar (CAD) weakened significantly, falling below 1.378 per US dollar. The main reason for the sell‑off in the “loonie” was weak macroeconomic data, which effectively forced investors to price in an exclusively “dovish” scenario for the Bank of Canada’s next steps. The biggest disappointment for the market was the GDP report: in the first quarter of 2026, the Canadian economy unexpectedly contracted in annual terms. Since this marks the second consecutive quarterly decline, analysts openly began speaking about a technical recession and a deep domestic slowdown. Against this backdrop, market participants have virtually no doubt that at the upcoming meeting on June 10, the Bank of Canada will prefer to pause and leave interest rates unchanged.

On Friday, Germany’s DAX (DE40) rose by 0.05% (up +0.87% for the week), France’s CAC 40 (FR40) closed down by 0.07% (up +0.83% for the week), Spain’s IBEX 35 (ES35) gained 0.46% (up +2.10% for the week), and the UK’s FTSE 100 (UK100) ended the session lower by 0.16% (down -0.33% for the week). The external backdrop for European assets remains mixed. On the one hand, markets were supported by reports from the White House that the US and Iran had agreed on a 60‑day memorandum to extend the ceasefire and launch official negotiations, which is now awaiting Donald Trump’s approval. On the other hand, the balance of risks worsened due to a new escalation in Eastern Europe, where, during a nighttime attack on Friday on Ukrainian border infrastructure, a Russian drone struck a building in the Romanian city of Galați, triggering a sharp reaction from the NATO member state.

WTI crude oil prices fell by 1.1%, dropping below $88 per barrel – the lowest level in the past six weeks. This decline capped an extremely unsuccessful month for the commodity market: in May alone, WTI prices plunged by 16%. Investors are actively pricing in a preliminary agreement between the US and Iran on a 60‑day extension of the ceasefire and the restoration of commercial shipping, despite the fact that Donald Trump has not yet signed the document, and official Tehran states that the deal is not finalized. Analysts urge the market not to get carried away and warn that the actual return of supply to the global market will be a complex and uneven process.

In Asia on Friday, Japan’s Nikkei 225 (JP225) rose by 2.53% (up +1.80% for the week), China’s FTSE China A50 closed higher by 0.31% (up +2.51% for the week), Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HK50) gained 0.70% (down -1.79% for the week), and Australia’s ASX 200 (AU200) increased by 1.62% (up +0.87% for the week).

China’s Manufacturing PMI indicated stagnation in the industrial sector, falling to the critical level of exactly 50.0 points. The main restraining factors remain weak domestic demand and persistently high costs for raw materials and components. The internal sub‑indices point to cooling across all key areas, as production growth slowed to a three‑month low of 51.2 points, while the volume of new domestic orders returned to contraction territory at 49.9 points.
The New Zealand dollar (NZD) saw a slight correction, slipping to around 0.596 USD, but the “kiwi” continues to hold near its three‑month highs. The fundamental position of New Zealand’s currency remains strong thanks to a sharp rise in aggressive market expectations for monetary tightening. The main driver behind the continuation of the long‑term upward trend was Friday’s remarks by Reserve Bank of New Zealand Governor Anna Breman. She openly warned investors that to combat entrenched inflation, the regulator will likely have to raise the Official Cash Rate significantly faster and more aggressively than previously projected. The probability of a rate hike at the next meeting in July has surged to 80%.

S&P 500 (US500) 7,580.06 +16.43 (+0.22%)

Dow Jones (US30) 51,032.46 +363.46 (+0.72%)

DAX (DE40) 25,104.70 +12.50 (+0.05%)

FTSE 100 (UK100) 10,409.28 -16.72 (-0.16%)

USD Index 98.94 -0.08 (-0.08%)

News feed for: 2026.06.01

  • Australia Manufacturing PMI (m/m) at 02:00 (GMT+3) – AUD (MED)
  • Japan Manufacturing PMI (m/m) at 03:30 (GMT+3) – JPY (MED)
  • RatingDog Manufacturing PMI (m/m) at 04:45 (GMT+3) – CHA50, HK50 (MED)
  • German Retail Sales (m/m) at 09:00 (GMT+3) – EUR (LOW)
  • Switzerland Retail Sales (m/m) at 09:30 (GMT+3) – CHF (LOW)
  • Switzerland GDP (q/q) at 10:00 (GMT+3) – CHF (MED)
  • Switzerland Manufacturing PMI (m/m) at 10:30 (GMT+3) – CHF (MED)
  • German Manufacturing PMI (m/m) at 10:55 (GMT+3) – EUR (MED)
  • Eurozone Manufacturing PMI (m/m) at 11:00 (GMT+3) – EUR (MED)
  • UK Manufacturing PMI (m/m) at 11:30 (GMT+3) – GBP (MED)
  • Eurozone Unemployment Rate (m/m) at 12:00 (GMT+3) – EUR (MED)
  • Canada Manufacturing PMI (m/m) at 16:30 (GMT+3) – CAD (MED)
  • US ISM Manufacturing PMI (m/m) at 17:00 (GMT+3) – USD (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.

Economics & Fundamentals Financial News
01 Jun

USD/JPY Approaches 160.00: Is Another Intervention Coming?

By Analytical Department RoboForex

USD/JPY continued its advance on Monday, reaching 159.46. The Japanese yen therefore remains under pressure near the key 160.00 level against the US dollar. This was the threshold that previously triggered currency market interventions by the Japanese authorities.

Data released on Friday confirmed that Japan spent JPY 11.7 trillion supporting its national currency at the end of April. As a result, the market received official confirmation of the large-scale intervention that traders had previously only suspected.

With the exchange rate approaching 160.00 once again, investors continue to assess the likelihood of further action from the Bank of Japan. The market remains divided over whether the central bank will opt for another interest rate increase this month. Uncertainty is being amplified by risks associated with the situation in the Middle East and its potential impact on the global economy.

Investor attention is now focused on upcoming speeches by Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda. His comments could provide fresh clues regarding the future direction of monetary policy.

Additional pressure on the yen came from disappointing corporate investment data. Capital expenditure by Japanese companies in the first quarter showed no growth compared with the previous year. This points to slowing business investment activity and raises concerns about the sustainability of domestic economic growth.

Technical Analysis

On the H4 chart, USD/JPY has formed a consolidation range around the 159.00 level. A breakout to the upside is developing a growth wave towards 159.77. We expect this target to be reached today, followed by a pullback towards 159.00. This scenario is supported by the MACD indicator, whose signal line remains above zero and is pointing firmly upwards, indicating potential for further gains.

On the H1 chart, the market is forming an upward structure towards 159.60. A corrective move to 159.20 may follow before another advance towards 159.60 and potentially 159.77. The Stochastic oscillator supports this outlook, with its signal line above the 50 level and rising towards 80, suggesting that bullish momentum remains intact in the short term.

Conclusion

USD/JPY remains firmly supported as the yen struggles against weak domestic fundamentals and ongoing global uncertainty. With the pair approaching the critical 160.00 level, traders are increasingly focused on the risk of renewed intervention by Japanese authorities and any policy signals from the Bank of Japan.

 

Disclaimer

Any forecasts contained herein are based on the author’s particular opinion. This analysis may not be treated as trading advice. RoboForex bears no responsibility for trading results based on trading recommendations and reviews contained herein.

Financial News Forex and Currency News
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