Asia-Pacific markets are mostly higher in thin holiday trade, with parts of the region still closed for Lunar New Year. South Korea is leading the move — the KOSPI is up about 3% and setting a fresh record high, while Japan’s Nikkei is higher by around 0.7%. Australia also joined the risk-on tone, with the ASX 200 up about 0.9% and hitting a new intraday record. 📈
🇦🇺 Australia’s labour data kept the Aussie dollar supported: employment rose by 17.8k in January, the unemployment rate held at 4.1%, and hours worked increased by 0.6%. The details suggest demand remains resilient, which keeps the RBA rate outlook firmly in focus. 💵
🇺🇸 Wall Street closed higher overnight, led by tech: the S&P 500 finished at 6,881.31 (+0.56%), the Nasdaq at 22,753.64 (+0.78%), and the Dow at 49,662.66 (+0.26%). Markets are still digesting the Fed’s latest messaging, with traders sensitive to any “higher for longer” implications. 🏛️
🛢️ Geopolitics remain the key wildcard. Oil is holding near recent highs on US-Iran tension headlines, with Brent around $70.5 and WTI around $65.4. Gold is steady near $5,000/oz as safe-haven demand stays in the background. 🟡
📅 Today’s focus (US): Trade Balance (Dec), Weekly Jobless Claims, and crude oil inventories later in the day.
Trade smart and stay tuned with NordFX! 🚀
🌏 Morning Update – Thursday, 19 February 2026 was originally published in Coinmonks on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.