Here are today's directional views from the global research desks of Ventura Prime FX! These are starting points for your own research to identify opportunities that make sense for you.
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DAILY NEWS BRIEF - MARKET OUTLOOK
March 18, 2026
 
   
 
Crude Oil (WTI)   Gold   S&P 500 (CME)   EUR/USD   GBP/USD   USD/JPY   Silver   Dow Jones (CME)  
 
 
  Market Wrap  
 
 
U.S. Market Overview:

On Wednesday, the major indices in the U.S. finished at session lows after the Fed held rates steady citing inflation worries. The S&P 500 slipped 91pts (-1.36%) to 6624, while the Dow Jones dropped 768pts (-1.63%) to 46225, and the Nasdaq 100 fell 355pts (-1.43%) to 24425.

On the sector front, the outperforming sectors were Energy (XLE), Industrials (XLI), and Utilities (XLU), while Consumer Staples (XLP), Consumer Discretionary (XLY), and Materials (XLB) sectors underperformed the most.

U.S. Economic Developments:

Looking at the latest U.S. economic data, The Fed held rates steady at 3.5-3.75%, citing solid growth, stable low unemployment, somewhat elevated inflation, Middle East uncertainties, and attentiveness to dual mandate risks, with one dissenter favoring a 25bp cut. U.S. producer prices rose 3.4% YoY in February, above the 3.0% forecast and up from 2.9% previously. U.S. factory orders rose 0.1% in January, below the 0.5% expected, following a -0.7% decline in the previous month.

U.S. Equity News:

Macys (M), a department store operator, gained 4.73% after reporting fiscal Q4 results that topped market estimates and issued an upbeat full-year sales outlook despite an uncertain discretionary spending backdrop.

General Mills (GIS), a packaged food and consumer staples company, slipped 2.97% after reporting Q3 results that declined year-over-year while reiterating its full-year outlook.

Lululemon Athletica (LULU), a designer of athletic accessories and apparel, gained 3.84% after quarterly earnings beat estimates.

Looking at big tech, Amazon.com (AMZN), the consumer electronics company, fell 2.48%. Microsoft (MSFT), the consumer electronics company, declined 1.91%. Apple (AAPL), the consumer electronics company, dropped 1.69%.

Volatility & Commodities Snapshot:

The CBOE Volatility Index (VIX) rose +12.16% to 25.09, and the 10-Year Yield decreased 0.531 basis points to 4.269%. In the commodities market, Gold dropped 192.93 dollars (-3.86%) to 4811.45 while Crude oil (WTI) advanced 3.48 dollars (+3.62%) to 99.69.

Europe Market Overview:

At the European close, the major indices in the region finished in negative territory. The Dax 40 fell 229pts (-0.96%) to 23502, while the Cac 40 declined 5pts (-0.06%) to 7970 and the FTSE 100 dropped 98pts (-0.94%) to 10305. On the economic front, eurozone's inflation rate was confirmed at 2.4% in February after 2.2% in January.

Foreign Exchange & Crypto Wrap:

The U.S. dollar index rose 0.68pt (+0.68%) to 100.253.

EUR/USD fell 88pips (-0.76%) to 1.145.

GBP/USD slipped 103pips (-0.77%) to 1.3251.

USD/JPY rose 90pips (+0.57%) to 159.88. Japan's exports grew 4.2% year-on-year in February, above the 1.6% expected.

USD/CHF climbed 88pips (+1.12%) to 0.7933.

AUD/USD fell 84pips (-1.18%) to 0.7018.

USD/CAD advanced 42pips (+0.31%) to 1.3733. The Bank of Canada held its benchmark rate at 2.25%, citing inflation near target alongside rising energy-driven price pressures and broader economic uncertainty, noting that the sharp increase in global energy prices has led to increases in gasoline prices, and this will push up total inflation in the coming months.

Finally, in the cryptocurrencies market, Bitcoin fell 3390 dollars (-4.55%) to 71163 while Ethereum dropped 147 dollars (-6.34%) to 2180.

AFTER HOURS

Micron Technology (MU) a leading memory and storage semiconductor company, beat fiscal Q2 earnings and revenue expectations, with guidance for the next quarter also way above analyst forecasts. The company reported non-GAAP EPS of $12.20 versus $9.19 expected, while revenue came in at $23.86B, above the $19.97B consensus.
 
 
 
 
  Please note that due to market volatility, some of the key levels may have already been reached and scenarios played out.
 
 
     
 
Crude Oil (WTI)‎ (K6)‎ Intraday: turning up.
 
Pivot:
94.15
 
Our preference:
Long positions above 94.15 with targets at 99.25 & 101.10 in extension.
 
Alternative scenario:
Below 94.15 look for further downside with 91.50 & 89.00 as targets.
 
Comment:
The RSI is mixed with a bullish bias.
 
Analyst Views Chart
 
Trade
 
 
 
 
 
Gold Intraday: the downside prevails.
 
Pivot:
4915
 
Our preference:
Short positions below 4915 with targets at 4834 & 4784 in extension.
 
Alternative scenario:
Above 4915 look for further upside with 4978 & 5043 as targets.
 
Comment:
The RSI shows downside momentum.
 
Analyst Views Chart
 
Trade
 
 
 
 
 
S&P 500 (CME)‎ (M6)‎ Intraday: under pressure.
 
Pivot:
6736
 
Our preference:
Short positions below 6736 with targets at 6630 & 6575 in extension.
 
Alternative scenario:
Above 6736 look for further upside with 6764 & 6815 as targets.
 
Comment:
The RSI advocates for further decline.
 
Analyst Views Chart
 
Trade
 
 
 
 
 
EUR/USD intraday : the downside prevails as long as 1.1530 is resistance
 
Our pivot point is at 1.1530.
 
Our preference:
The downside prevails as long as 1.1530 is resistance
 
Alternative scenario:
Above 1.1530, look for 1.1554 and 1.1568.
 
Comment:
The RSI is below its neutrality area at 50. The MACD is below its signal line and negative. The configuration is negative. Moreover, the price stands below its 20 and 50 period moving average (respectively at 1.1519 and 1.1530). Finally, the EUR/USD is trading below its lower Bollinger band (standing at 1.1487).
 
Analyst Views Chart
 
Trade
 
 
 
 
 
GBP/USD intraday : the downside prevails as long as 1.3360 is resistance
 
Our pivot point is at 1.3360.
 
Our preference:
The downside prevails as long as 1.3360 is resistance
 
Alternative scenario:
Above 1.3360, look for 1.3393 and 1.3413.
 
Comment:
The RSI is below its neutrality area at 50. The MACD is below its signal line and negative. The configuration is negative. Moreover, the price stands below its 20 and 50 period moving average (respectively at 1.3334 and 1.3348). Finally, the GBP/USD is trading below its lower Bollinger band (standing at 1.3297).
 
Analyst Views Chart
 
Trade
 
 
 
 
 
USD/JPY intraday : the upside prevails as long as 158.99 is support
 
Our pivot point is at 158.99.
 
Our preference:
The upside prevails as long as 158.99 is support
 
Alternative scenario:
Below 158.99, expect 158.48 and 158.17.
 
Comment:
The RSI is above 70. It could mean either that the price is in a lasting uptrend or just overbought and therefore bound to correct (look for bearish divergence in this case). The MACD is above its signal line and positive. The configuration is positive. Moreover, the price is above its 20 and 50 period moving average (respectively at 159.32 and 159.08).
 
Analyst Views Chart
 
Trade
 
 
 
 
 
Silver Intraday: the downside prevails.
 
Pivot:
78.20
 
Our preference:
Short positions below 78.20 with targets at 75.50 & 74.00 in extension.
 
Alternative scenario:
Above 78.20 look for further upside with 80.20 & 82.50 as targets.
 
Comment:
The RSI is mixed.
 
Analyst Views Chart
 
Trade
 
 
 
 
 
Dow Jones (CME)‎ (M6)‎ Intraday: the downside prevails.
 
Pivot:
47000
 
Our preference:
Short positions below 47000 with targets at 46300 & 45970 in extension.
 
Alternative scenario:
Above 47000 look for further upside with 47220 & 4776047760 as targets.
 
Comment:
The RSI is bearish and calls for further downside.
 
Analyst Views Chart
 
Trade
 
 
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