Australia unemployment rate set to edge up within overall strong labor market

The Australian monthly employment report is scheduled for release on Thursday at 00:30 GMT, and market participants anticipate a modest increase in jobs in January.

LatAm: Positioning at multi‑year highs – BNY

BNY’s EMEA Macro Strategist Geoff Yu reports that Latin American sovereign debt positioning in global portfolios has climbed to multi-year highs, with combined holdings in Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Chile, Colombia and Peru now above 2023 peaks.

ZAR: Structural job strain caps rand gains – Commerzbank

Commerzbank’s Volkmar Baur highlights that South Africa’s unemployment has fallen to 31.4%, the lowest since the pandemic, but remains structurally very high. Employment growth lags population gains, and the labour force has shrunk as more people stop job hunting.

Forex Today: USD firms after FOMC minutes, ECB succession in focus

European Central Bank (ECB) President Christine Lagarde may step down from her job earlier than her planned retirement in October 2027, according to a report by the Financial Times.

EUR/HUF: Pre-cut strength and limited downside – ING

ING’s Frantisek Taborsky notes the Hungarian Forint is testing new highs as EUR/HUF trades near two-year lows ahead of expected NBH rate cuts.