Market Brief for August 24, 2026

The start of the week sees significant movements in the currency markets, with the Canadian dollar and Japanese yen in focus. Meanwhile, the US dollar faces pressure from fiscal measures, and gold continues its upward trajectory.

What's on the calendar

Today, US Treasury Secretary Bessent is scheduled to speak at 18:00 UTC. This event is marked as having a medium impact, suggesting it could influence market sentiment, particularly regarding US fiscal policy.

What's moving

The Canadian dollar is experiencing a downturn following the collapse of trade talks and the implementation of 50% tariffs by the US. This development has led to the Canadian currency falling across the board. In contrast, the Japanese yen is testing psychological resistance levels against the US dollar, with traders wary of potential intervention from Japan as the USD/JPY pair hovers near the 160 mark.

The US dollar is under pressure due to recent fiscal measures announced by the US Treasury, which include doubling the size of its buyback operations for longer-dated Treasury securities. This move has contributed to the weakening of the dollar against other major currencies, including the euro and Swiss franc.

Gold prices have hit a new high since mid-May, driven by lower bond yields and diminishing expectations of aggressive interest rate hikes by the Federal Reserve, the central bank of the United States.

Bottom line

Today's market movements highlight the impact of geopolitical developments and fiscal policies on currency values, with the Canadian dollar and US dollar notably affected. Gold continues to shine as a safe haven amid these uncertainties.

This brief is a snapshot of public commentary at the time of writing — not financial advice.