The euro opened the week on the back foot, slipping about 0.1% to around 1.1225 in early trading as cost-of-living protests in France turned violent over the weekend. Analysts flagged the French government bond market, where the spread to German debt was cited near 140 basis points, as the more direct channel for the stress than the currency itself.
The US dollar index was steady near 101.9, following a 0.4% weekly decline that ended a four-week winning streak. USD/JPY was little changed near 158 after Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda said underlying inflation is approaching the 2% target, comments that keep the BOJ's next move in focus. The pair sits close to levels that have previously drawn official warnings, which reports said was keeping traders cautious.
On the policy calendar, fed funds futures showed roughly an 84% probability that the Federal Reserve holds rates at its October 27-28 meeting, up from about 49% a month earlier. The ECB meets on October 29.
Levels are approximate, as reported on October 19, 2026. Education and analysis only, not investment advice.