Financial & Forex Market Recap: March 17, 2026.Equities and crude oil advanced in tandem for the first time since the Iran war began, the RBA hiked in a narrow vote, and the dollar softened.

Trading Day: Oil back above $100... and so?.Stocks rose, and bond yields and the dollar slipped on Tuesday, as investors shrugged off a rebound in oil prices that lifted Brent crude back above $100 a barrel, and turned their attention to the Federal Reserve's interest rate decision on Wednesday.

Crude Oil Price Forecast: Risk of Pullback Heightened.Crude oil consolidates within near-term pivots after a bearish engulfing pattern, with traders watching key support and resistance to determine the next directional move.

Natural Gas Price Forecast: Key Support Tests Trend Direction.Natural gas consolidates near key 20-day support within a broadening pattern, as traders watch for a decisive move to confirm either renewed strength or downside continuation.

United States API Weekly Crude Oil Stock registered at 6.6M above expectations (-0.6M) in March 13.United States API Weekly Crude Oil Stock registered at 6.6M above expectations (-0.6M) in March 13

Economic and event calendar in Asia 18 March 2026.Data releases today are unlikely to have much of an immediate impact on financial markets. I've noted data for New Zealand and Australia with text as the similarity of the little flags can sometimes be confusing.

Head and Shoulders in WTI! Is the rally over for Crude Oil?.Crude Oil and Dow Jones update: The WTI rally faces exhaustion as the elimination of key Iranian figures signals a potential conflict turning point. WTI forms a Head and Shoulders pattern eyeing $85, while the Dow rejects its channel bound ahead of the FOMC.

Natural Gas, WTI Oil, Brent Oil Forecasts – Oil Moves Higher As Trump Says U.S. Needs A Couple Of Weeks To Defeat Iran.Oil prices gain ground as traders bet on a long war in the Middle East.

China: Fiscal support seen offsetting Oil shock – TD Securities.China: Fiscal support seen offsetting Oil shock – TD Securities

US Dollar Forecast: DXY Falls on Profit-Taking Ahead of Fed Meeting.US Dollar pulls back from highs as traders brace for Fed decision. DXY outlook hinges on central bank guidance, inflation risks, and geopolitical tensions.

Thailand: Oil shock lifts inflation risk – UOB.Thailand: Oil shock lifts inflation risk – UOB

Pre-FOMC USD Price Action Setups: EUR/USD, USD/JPY, GBP/USD.Price leads and narrative follows, and at this point the US Dollar is holding support at prior resistance ahead of a pivotal FOMC meeting tomorrow. While there's practically no expectation for any actual adjustments to rates there's still considerable odds for a move by the end of this year, which means the focus will largely be on the bank's projections and guidance along with the press conference at 2PM ET.

LatAm: Peso seen outperforming real – Commerzbank.LatAm: Peso seen outperforming real – Commerzbank

Dollar Strength Meets Fed Uncertainty Ahead of Critical Rate Call.U.S. Dollar strength is being tested at key resistance as Federal Reserve policy uncertainty intensifies ahead of the latest rate decision. Michael Boutros, Senior Market Analyst at FOREX.com, breaks down the technical outlook for the U.S. Dollar Index, highlighting critical breakout levels, key support zones, and how shifting rate expectations and rising oil-driven inflation risks are shaping the market narrative.

US Dollar Index fades as markets hold breath ahead of FOMC.US Dollar Index fades as markets hold breath ahead of FOMC

U.S. Dollar Moves Lower As Treasury Yields Fall: Analysis For EUR/USD, GBP/USD, USD/CAD, USD/JPY.Demand for the safe-haven dollar declined despite rising oil prices.

USD/JPY Outlook: What could happen to the yen after this week's central bank decisions?.Although the week has started to move in favor of the yen in the short term, with USDJPY showing a consistent decline over the last two sessions of around -0.5%, this move appears to reflect more of a phase of indecision rather than a solid recovery of the Japanese currency, especially after the strong appreciation of the U.S. dollar seen last week.

Why the Fed Must Resist the Temptation to Cut Rates in March.The U.S. Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting this week and its subsequent interest rate decision on Wednesday, 18 March, will draw close attention from traders and investors worldwide.

WTI remains volatile amid persistent geopolitical risks and supply disruptions.WTI remains volatile amid persistent geopolitical risks and supply disruptions

Trump: NATO is making a foolish mistake. They should have been there..Don't need any help excorting ships through Strait of Hormuz NATO is making a foolish mistake. They should have been there Great support from Qatar, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain on Iran.

Canada: Strong wealth boost with record net worth – NBC.Canada: Strong wealth boost with record net worth – NBC

FOMC Meeting Preview: So Much for 2% Inflation this Year?.Even looking out over the next couple meetings, traders are pricing in 75%+ odds of no change to rates through June, so interest rates are highly likely to remain on hold until at least the second half of the year as it stands.

United States 52-Week Bill Auction rose from previous 3.345% to 3.485%.United States 52-Week Bill Auction rose from previous 3.345% to 3.485%

Natural Gas Price Analysis – Natural Gas Sitting on Top of Big Figure Again.Natural gas is trying to find its floor on Tuesday, but we will have to see if exports can drive us higher.

AUD: Positive terms of trade offsets geopolitical risk – TD Securities.AUD: Positive terms of trade offsets geopolitical risk – TD Securities

Crude Oil Price Analysis – Crude Oil Continues to be Supported.Oil continues to watch the headlines coming out of the war, and therefore we are seeing volatile moves from time to time.

Oil: Supply risks and reserves shape outlook – Commerzbank.Oil: Supply risks and reserves shape outlook – Commerzbank

GBP/JPY holds steady as traders eye BoE and BoJ rate decisions.GBP/JPY holds steady as traders eye BoE and BoJ rate decisions

USD/JPY, GBP/USD and AUD/USD Forecasts – US Dollar Slightly Soft in Early Trading.US dollar is a little bit soft in early Tuesday trading, as risk appetite is starting to work its way back into the markets.

United States Pending Home Sales (YoY) fell from previous -0.4% to -0.8% in February.United States Pending Home Sales (YoY) fell from previous -0.4% to -0.8% in February