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Markets enter May with the federal funds target range at 3.50% to 3.75%, the Fed having concluded its 28-29 April meeting, and the next decision not due until 16-17 June. Brent crude is trading near US$108 per barrel, with the IEA describing the ongoing Iran conflict as the largest energy supply shock on record as the Strait of Hormuz remains effectively closed.

The macro tension this month is straightforward but uncomfortable: an oil-driven inflation impulse landing into a labour market that surprised to the upside in March, while Q1 growth came in soft.

The Federal Reserve has revised its 2026 PCE inflation projection to 2.7% and continues to signal one cut this year, though the timing remains contested. With no FOMC scheduled in May, every high-impact release may carry more weight than usual into the June meeting.

Growth: business activity and demand

The growth picture entering May is mixed. The Q1 GDP advance estimate landed on 30 April, while softer retail sales and inventory data have made the demand picture harder to read.

ISM manufacturing has been a quieter source of optimism, with recent prints holding in expansionary territory. Energy costs and tariff effects are now the variables most likely to shape the next move in business activity.

Labour: payrolls and employment data

The April Employment Situation is one of the most concentrated risk events of the month. March payrolls came in stronger than expected, while earlier data revisions left the trend less clear. April will help show whether the labour market is genuinely re-accelerating or simply absorbing seasonal noise.

Inflation: CPI, PPI and PCE

April inflation lands as the most market-relevant data block of the month. The March consumer price index (CPI) rose 3.3% over the prior 12 months, with energy up 10.9% on the month and gasoline up 21.2%, accounting for almost three quarters of the headline increase. With Brent holding near US$105 to US$108 through the latter half of April, a further passthrough into the April CPI energy component looks plausible.

Core CPI and core personal consumption expenditures (PCE) remain the better read on underlying trend.

Policy, trade and earnings

May has no FOMC meeting, so policy attention shifts to Fed speakers, the path of any leadership transition, and the dominant geopolitical backdrop. Chair Jerome Powell's term concludes around the middle of the month. President Donald Trump has nominated Kevin Warsh as the next Fed chair, with the Senate Banking Committee having held a confirmation hearing.

The Iran conflict, now in its ninth week, remains the single largest source of macro tail risk, with the Strait of Hormuz blockade and stalled US-Iran talks setting the tone for energy markets and broader risk appetite. Q1 earnings season is in its peak weeks, with peak weeks expected between 27 April and 15 May, and 7 May the most active reporting day.

What to monitor this month

• Iran-US negotiations and the operational status of the Strait of Hormuz
• Fed speakers and any change in tone between meetings
• Q1 earnings, especially from retail, energy and cyclical names
• Weekly EIA crude inventories
• Any tariff-related announcements that may affect inflation expectations

Bottom line

May is not a quiet month just because there is no FOMC meeting. Payrolls, CPI, PPI, retail sales and PCE all land before the June policy decision, while oil remains the dominant external shock.

For markets, the key question is whether the data points to a temporary energy-driven inflation lift, or a broader inflation problem arriving at the same time as softer growth. That distinction may shape the next major move in bonds, the US dollar, gold and equity indices.

Asia-Pacific markets start May with a more complicated macro backdrop than earlier in 2026. Regional growth has shown resilience, but higher energy prices are testing inflation expectations, trade balances and policy flexibility across fuel-importing economies.

For traders, the month's focus is likely to sit across three linked areas.

China

Japan inflation and BOJ signals

Australia and the RBA decision

Regional swing factors

As we enter May 2026, the global FX market is attempting a difficult high-wire act. April was defined by "civilisation-ending" ultimatums and a Pakistani-brokered ceasefire that sent Brent crude on a rollercoaster from US$110 down to the mid-US$90s.

For traders, the connect-the-dots moment is this: the peak panic around the Iran conflict has faded, but it has been replaced by a structural regime shift. Markets may be moving from a war premium to a transition premium.

With Kevin Warsh nominated to take the Fed chair in mid-May and the Bank of Japan (BOJ) staring down a generational ceiling near 160.00, the calm in the headlines may be masking a major repricing of global yield differentials.

Strongest mover: US dollar (USD)

The US dollar enters May with a new kind of ballast. While the ceasefire reduced the immediate need for a panic hedge, the nomination of Kevin Warsh, widely viewed as an inflation hawk, has provided a structural floor for the greenback.

Markets may be front-running a shift in Fed independence alongside a stricter approach to inflation targeting. That combination - a credible hawkish signal at the policy level - tends to support the dollar even when the near-term data is mixed.

Weakest mover: Japanese yen (JPY)

If you wanted to design a currency to struggle in 2026, the yen fits the brief. Despite the "TACO" script, short for "Trump always chickens out", providing some relief to equities, the mathematical pressure on JPY remains significant.

The BOJ continues its delicate exit from long-term stimulus, but this process has been slower than many anticipated. The USD/JPY pair remains particularly sensitive to US Treasury yields. A move above 4.5% on the US 10-year could put additional pressure on the BOJ to act.

The pair to watch: AUD/USD

The Australian dollar sits at an interesting intersection.

Inflation in Australia has proven more persistent than in other developed economies, which may encourage the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) to maintain a cautious, higher-for-longer stance. This could create potential yield support for the AUD that does not exist in the same way for currencies where central banks are already cutting.

What could support the AUD

At the same time, the AUD remains deeply exposed to commodity markets and Chinese demand.

Iron ore and copper are critical inputs for the Australian economy. If global demand remains stable, the Australian dollar could find further support. Any shift in Chinese industrial data will be a key signal for this pair.

The EUR/USD comparison

The EUR/USD dynamic also warrants attention.

The European Central Bank (ECB) is balancing a cooling economy with regional inflation targets. Growth in Germany remains a concern for the eurozone, and markets are pricing in a potential rate cut that could narrow the interest rate differential with the US.

That shift may cause the euro to soften relative to the US dollar. Political developments within the European Union, particularly any fiscal disagreement, could add to volatility in that pair.

Data to watch next

Four events stand out as the clearest catalysts. Each has a direct transmission channel into rate expectations and, by extension, into forex CFDs.

Key levels and signals

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The FX market heading into May is being shaped by a normalisation trap. Traders may be betting that the worst of the energy shock is over, but a hawkish Fed leadership transition could still re-steepen the yield curve. Moves are likely to remain highly data-dependent and sensitive to overnight gaps from the Middle East, where geopolitical shifts can gap markets before the next session opens.