Market View: Thursday, February 19, 2026
The US dollar held steady after the FOMC minutes’ release; gold finally made it above the $5,000 psychological level after the recent correction; the EURUSD fell below 1.18000 and paused near resistance; the Fed minutes did not trigger a sharp crypto move.
- Yesterday’s Fed minutes didn’t surprise markets dramatically, but reinforced the idea that rate cuts would be gradual and data-dependent. That removed some downside pressure on the USD.
- The Fed minutes limited immediate upside momentum by slowing aggressive easing expectations. Nevertheless, XAUUSD surpassed the $5,000 level as the risk of a US-Iran conflict appears to be emerging.
- EURUSD is less about the euro’s strength but more about the USD balance nowadays.
- The Fed’s “higher for slightly longer” tone reduced the aggressive risk-on behavior in bitcoin. The asset stays within the previous $66,000–$69,000 range.
Today’s focus
| US Initial Jobless Claims due at 23:00 MetaTrader time |
FX snapshot
XAUUSD
Gold stays constructive but cautious. For further way up, gold needs either softer data or geopolitical tension. Without that, the upside attempts may struggle.
EURUSD
EURUSD has a slightly upward bias, but is likely to trade range-bound today. Anyway, the pair will try to test the 1.18000 resistance.
BTC
Bitcoin remains sensitive to macro liquidity and risk appetite. However, the latter stays cool and calm for crypto so far.
| Pair | Key support | Key resistance | Bias |
| XAUUSD | 4,970 | 5,050 | Slightly upward |
| EURUSD | 1.17800 | 1.18000 | Slightly upward |
| BTC | 66,000 | 68,000 | Consolidating |
Market sentiment
Yesterday’s Fed minutes reminded the market that the regulator was not in a rush. The officials acknowledged slowing inflation but emphasized that they need more confirmation before committing to easing. That kept investors away from aggressively pricing near-term cuts. Today’s mood is shaped by that balance – neither hawkish, nor dovish – just careful.
