Aussie Dollar Roars to 3-Year High as Gold Explodes — Rate Hike Bets Ignite FX Rally

 

SYDNEY — The Australian dollar just hit its strongest level in three years, riding a blistering surge in gold prices and growing speculation that the Reserve Bank of Australia is about to pull the trigger on a rate hike. The rally spilled across the Tasman, lifting the New Zealand dollar to a seven-month high.

The Aussie ripped as high as $0.7050, extending its winning streak to eight straight sessions, fueled by a relentless commodities boom. Gold — one of Australia’s most critical exports — smashed through yet another record, rocketing toward $5,600 an ounce.

Meanwhile, the US dollar found only temporary relief after Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent reaffirmed Washington’s “strong dollar” stance, following President Donald Trump’s dismissal of the recent greenback slide. A slightly hawkish Federal Reserve also offered support, holding rates steady and pointing to a “solid” US economy — pushing expectations for the next rate cut back to June.

Still, the Antipodeans outperformed.

Markets are now laser-focused on next week’s RBA decision. All four major Australian banks are calling for a quarter-point rate hike, after inflation once again surprised to the upside. Only a handful of holdouts — including Goldman Sachs and Deutsche Bank — remain unconvinced.

Goldman’s chief economist Andrew Boak cautioned that the 0.9% quarterly jump in trimmed mean inflation may not be enough to justify a rapid pivot from easing to tightening, calling the February decision a “very close call.” Still, he acknowledged the RBA’s track record of blindsiding markets.

If the RBA hikes next Tuesday, it would become the first non-Japan G10 central bank to raise rates during the current global easing cycle — a potentially seismic shift for currency markets.

Profit-taking briefly cooled the Aussie in Asian trade, slipping 0.2% to $0.7025, as mixed earnings from US tech giants dented equity sentiment.

Across the Tasman Sea, the kiwi dollar also pulled back 0.2% to $0.6050 after tagging a seven-month high at $0.6070. Key resistance sits near $0.6060 and $0.6120.

The Reserve Bank of New Zealand meets on February 18 and is widely expected to hold rates at 2.25%, though traders are increasingly betting the next move will be up, likely later this year.

Bottom line: commodities are on fire, rate-hike expectations are building, and the Aussie dollar is suddenly one of the hottest currencies on the planet.

Meta Q4 Blowout Ignites Wall Street Frenzy as AI Optimism Sends Price Targets Soaring

 Meta Platforms (META) is back in full bull mode.

Wall Street rushed to raise price targets after Meta crushed Q4 expectations, driven by surging ad demand and early—but increasingly measurable—returns from its massive AI investments.

Shares jumped more than 8% in premarket trading Thursday, as analysts piled in with fresh upside calls.

Big Banks Go Bigger on Meta

• Barclays raised its price target to $800 from $770, citing a sharp rebound in advertising momentum. Revenue growth north of 30%, the firm said, has eased lingering concerns around rising costs and capital intensity.

• UBS boosted its target to $872 from $830, maintaining a Buy rating and forecasting higher earnings estimates for 2026 and 2027 as AI monetization accelerates.

• Bank of America lifted its target to $885 from $810, reaffirming its Buy call and pointing to tangible returns from Meta’s investment cycle.

Morgan Stanley, Jefferies, and Piper Sandler also raised targets, with Jefferies noting that Meta’s revenue surge confirms AI-driven growth is finally validating years of heavy spending.

Q4 Numbers That Changed the Narrative

Meta posted Q4 revenue of $59.89 billion and EPS of $8.88, blowing past analyst estimates of $58.59 billion and $8.02, according to Fiscal AI data.

That performance is shifting sentiment fast.

Barclays emphasized that Meta remains the undisputed leader in digital advertising, with AI providing additional upside not yet fully reflected in forecasts.

AI Payoff Is Starting to Show

UBS expects Meta’s AI strategy to materially lift earnings power over the next two years, while Bank of America highlighted the company’s ability to fund expansion internally as free cash flow is projected to turn positive in 2026.

BofA also noted that Reality Labs losses are likely to peak this year, removing another long-standing overhang on the stock.

Bigger Bets Ahead

Meta signaled it’s not slowing down.

The company plans to ramp capital expenditures sharply in 2026, projecting $115 billion to $135 billion in spending—up from roughly $72 billion in 2025—doubling down on AI infrastructure and long-term growth.

Bottom line: Wall Street is starting to believe Meta’s AI gamble is paying off—and the price targets suggest analysts think this run is far from over.

If You Can Read Liquidity, You Can Compete: Wall Street’s Top 3 Trading Plays

In a recent video on the YouTube channel "World class edge" 2× World Trading Champion Patrick Nill explained his strategies and theories on he was able to generate verified 100%+ per year.

The Top Three Wall Street Trading Strategies — And How Retail Traders Can Still Compete

What if an insider explained how trading really works on Wall Street?

Not the simplified stories about indicators or headlines—but the actual strategies used by professionals, hedge funds, and algorithmic desks to gain an edge in the markets. Understanding these methods doesn’t mean you can copy them directly, but it does allow you to follow the big money and trade with far more objectivity.

In this article, we break down the three most dominant strategies used on Wall Street today, drawing on insights from former Wall Street trader and scalper Serge Hoffman, and explain what retail traders can realistically learn—and use—from them.

How Trading on Wall Street Really Works Today

Modern markets are no longer driven by human reflexes. Speed, automation, and data dominate. Trades are executed in nanoseconds, powered by advanced algorithms and massive server infrastructure located as close as physically possible to exchange data centers.

Wall Street’s biggest advantage isn’t secret indicators—it’s technology and capital. Entire football fields of servers exist solely to shave milliseconds off execution times. Retail traders simply cannot compete at that level.

But that doesn’t mean retail traders are locked out.

What is possible is learning how to recognize the footprints of these strategies and position yourself accordingly.

Strategy #1: Market Making & High-Frequency Trading (HFT)

What It Is

Market making is the backbone of modern Wall Street trading. Algorithms constantly work both sides of the market—buying on the bid and selling on the ask—to provide liquidity and profit from tiny price differences.

Today, this is almost entirely handled by high-frequency trading (HFT) systems, executing thousands of trades per second. These algorithms manage order flow, absorb liquidity, and accelerate price movement when conditions are favorable.

Can Retail Traders Use This?

Not directly—but you can observe it.

By watching order books and price ladders, experienced traders can often spot:

• Liquidity absorption

• Sudden speed changes

• Aggressive bid/ask behavior

• Algorithmic “support” or “resistance”

When liquidity accelerates in one direction, price often follows quickly. Retail traders who recognize this can trade with the flow rather than against it.

The key insight:

Follow speed and liquidity, not opinions.

Strategy #2: Arbitrage

What It Is

Arbitrage exploits price discrepancies between different markets, exchanges, or routing paths. If an asset trades at slightly different prices in two places, algorithms buy low in one venue and sell high in another—often instantly.

This strategy is common in:

• Equities

• ETFs

• Crypto markets

Can Retail Traders Use This?

In traditional futures and equities, arbitrage is mostly algorithmic and inaccessible to retail traders due to speed limitations.

However, crypto markets still offer occasional arbitrage opportunities because:

• Exchanges are fragmented

• Liquidity varies

• Regulation is inconsistent

Some professional crypto traders still specialize exclusively in arbitrage, and under the right conditions, retail traders can participate—though competition has increased significantly.

Strategy #3: Order Flow & Micro-Scalping

What It Is

This is one of the most active and misunderstood strategies on Wall Street today.

Order flow scalping focuses on:

• Rapid bid/ask interaction

• Short bursts of algorithmic activity

• Temporary inefficiencies caused by event-driven execution

Rather than predicting direction, traders observe real-time behavior in the order book—how aggressively orders are filled, pulled, or flipped.

Certain strategies (like “flipping”) were once manual but are now fully automated. Still, algorithms leave patterns, especially during:

• News-driven events

• Illiquid periods

• Sudden volatility spikes

How Retail Traders Can Use It

In specific moments—particularly in thinner markets like currency futures—algorithms may rapidly fill both bids and asks. When this happens, skilled traders can:

• Place alternating limit orders

• Capture small, repeated profits

• Trade both sides of the market briefly

These opportunities don’t appear every day—but when they do, they can be highly profitable if recognized in real time.

Why Charts Alone Aren’t Enough

Wall Street does not trade purely on technical indicators or chart patterns.

Charts are used primarily to understand what already happened, not to forecast the future mechanically. Price movement is driven by:

• Execution

• Liquidity

• Decision-making events—not headlines themselves

News doesn’t move markets.
Decisions made because of news move markets.

This distinction is critical for short-term traders.

The Biggest Myth Retail Traders Believe

Many traders assume institutions like BlackRock “move the market” simply because reports say they’re positioned long or short.

The reality:

• Institutional data is often delayed

• Reports describe what already happened

• Intraday price movement depends on current execution, not long-term positioning

Smart traders trade what they see, not what they’re told.

How Retail Traders Can Compete (Realistically)

Retail traders don’t win by being faster or smarter than algorithms. They win by being:

• More selective

• More patient

• More objective

Successful traders combine:

• Subjective context (news, reports, expectations)

• Objective confirmation (order flow, liquidity, price behavior)

If liquidity isn’t present—don’t trade.
No liquidity, no opportunity.

The One Rule That Matters Most

At the end of the discussion, Serge Hoffman summed it up with one sentence:

“Read less. Observe more.”

The markets constantly reveal what’s happening—if you’re watching the right things.

Iran on the Brink: Currency Collapse, Soaring Inflation, and Nationwide Unrest

Tehran is in turmoil. Iran is facing one of its most severe economic crises in decades: the national currency is in freefall, inflation is skyrocketing, and protests are spreading across the country. Social media is buzzing with claims that the Iranian rial is now “worth zero” against the US dollar—but the truth, while more nuanced, is far more alarming.

Iranian Rial Hits All-Time Lows
Since late 2025, the rial has plummeted, especially in the parallel market—the real measure of supply and demand. By early January 2026, the exchange rate hit an unprecedented 1.4–1.5 million rials per dollar, the weakest level in history.

Some currency apps even show the rial as “$0.00”. This doesn’t mean the currency is literally worthless—it’s a glitch caused by extreme depreciation—but it perfectly captures the collapse of confidence in Iran’s economy.

Inflation Above 40% Is Crushing Iranians
The falling rial has sent prices into overdrive:

• Food costs for staples like bread, rice, and cooking oil are skyrocketing.

• Healthcare and imports are now nearly unaffordable.

• Annual inflation sits above 40%, eroding household incomes and pushing many middle-class families toward poverty.

Why the Rial Is Freefalling
Experts say a perfect storm of pressures is driving the collapse:

• International sanctions block access to foreign currency and global markets.

• Chronic fiscal deficits are financed by printing money, fuelling inflation.

• Public confidence in government monetary policy is eroding fast.

• Geopolitical tensions discourage investment and accelerate capital flight.

The result? A vicious cycle: currency weakness → inflation → more currency weakness.

Economic Anguish Sparks Protests
The streets of Tehran, Isfahan, Shiraz, and Mashhad have erupted with protests since December 2025. What started as anger over currency losses and rising prices has grown into widespread discontent with the government’s economic management.

Authorities have responded with internet blackouts and heightened security, prompting international concern over human rights.

Global Consequences
Iran’s crisis isn’t just a domestic problem:

• As a major oil producer, instability in Iran can ripple through global energy markets.

• It’s a stark example of how sanctions, inflation, and monetary mismanagement can spiral into near-hyperinflation.

• Emerging economies can see Iran as a cautionary tale of how quickly currency collapse can destabilize society.

Bottom Line
Iran’s rial may not technically be zero—but its historic lows, combined with 40%+ inflation and growing civil unrest, paint a chilling picture. Once public trust in a currency is lost, recovery is nearly impossible.

Iran’s crisis is a wake-up call: monetary collapse can swiftly evolve into political, social, and humanitarian upheaval—and the world is watching.

Munehisa Homma-Guy who invested candlesticks

 

Munehisa Honma (1724–1803): The Father of Candlestick Charting

Munehisa Honma (本間 宗久), also known as Sokyu Honma, was a Japanese rice merchant and trader from Sakata who became one of the most influential figures in trading history. Active during the Tokugawa Shogunate, he traded on the Dōjima Rice Exchange in Osaka and is widely regarded as the inventor of the candlestick chart—a cornerstone of modern technical analysis.

Often called the “God of the Markets,” Honma was the first to systematically study price action and recognize recurring patterns in market behavior. In 1755, he published The Fountain of Gold – The Three Monkey Record of Money, one of the earliest known books on trading and market psychology. In today’s terms, his trading success is estimated to be equivalent to nearly $10 billion.

Around the early 1700s, Japan developed one of the world’s first futures markets for rice. Instead of trading only physical rice, merchants began using coupons that promised future delivery. This innovation created a secondary market where Honma thrived. According to legend, he even built a private communication network with messengers stationed every 6 kilometers between Sakata and Osaka—nearly 600 kilometers apart—to relay price information in real time.

Honma strongly believed that market psychology was just as important as supply and demand. He wrote that traders’ emotions drive price movements and famously stated, “When all are bearish, there is cause for prices to rise—and when all are bullish, prices will fall.” This insight laid the foundation for contrarian trading strategies still used today.

He also described market cycles in terms of Yang (bull markets) and Yin (bear markets), noting that each contains elements of the other. His trading decisions were influenced by price, volume, and even weather patterns.

Some historical sources credit Honma with authoring additional works, including:

• A Full Commentary on the Sakata Strategy

• Honma Sokyu — Tales of a Life Immersed in the Market

What made him successful?

Some believe it was his invention of candlesticks, but in reality, it was his ability to manipulate price and gain a competitive advantage through superior market data and news that gave him his greatest edge.

Are candlesticks useful? Can they give you an edge?

The short answer is yes—they can. But it depends on how they are used. Candlesticks don’t provide an edge in all situations. When used by themselves, with nothing else, they will likely produce a win rate below 50%. Considering that most trades are close to a 1:1 risk-to-reward ratio, this means you aren’t gaining any real edge.

1. At Key Levels (Support / Resistance)

A random doji in the middle of nowhere = useless
A pin bar at major support = very powerful

Context > pattern.

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2. For Timing Entries

Candlesticks are excellent for:

• entry precision

• risk control

• confirmation after a setup

Example:
You identify support → wait for bullish engulfing → enter with tight stop.

This is where pros use them.

---

3. For Reading Order Flow Without Order Flow

Long wicks = rejection
Small bodies = indecision
Big bodies = control

It’s a visual tape.

XAIR-Beyond Air Inc is up over 200% today and Why

  

We are still in a bull market, and overall sentiment remains strongly bullish.

All that’s needed now is news of FDA approval for LUNGFIT-2, along with updates on advancement studies from the Beyond Cancer subsidiary. There is far more to this company than many realize.

We are still in a bull market, and overall sentiment remains strongly bullish.

All that’s needed now is news of FDA approval for LUNGFIT-2, along with updates on advancement studies from the Beyond Cancer subsidiary. There is far more to this company than many realize.

That’s the real catalyst behind today’s surge.

The next question is: where does it go from here?

Insider ownership stands at approximately 61–62%, which is a strong vote of confidence.

US Dollar Slips as Gold Takes Center Stage in Global Reserves

 

The US dollar’s dominance in global foreign exchange reserves is fading fast. New data shows the dollar now accounts for roughly 40% of total global reserves, the lowest level in at least two decades.

Why the Dollar Is Losing Ground

Over the past ten years, central banks have steadily reduced their reliance on the US dollar. In that period alone, the dollar’s share has fallen by nearly 18 percentage points.

This trend reflects rising concerns about US debt, geopolitical tensions, sanctions risk, and long-term currency stability. Instead of concentrating reserves in a single currency, many countries are choosing to diversify.

Gold Is the Big Winner

As the dollar’s share declines, gold has emerged as the primary beneficiary. Gold now represents about 28% of global reserves, its highest level since the early 1990s.

Remarkably, gold now makes up a larger share of reserves than the euro, Japanese yen, and British pound combined. This signals a clear shift toward assets that are not tied to any one government or political system.

Why Central Banks Are Stockpiling Gold

Gold is viewed as a safe haven during periods of uncertainty. It carries no credit risk, cannot be frozen through sanctions, and tends to hold its value during inflation or currency weakness.

With geopolitical risks rising and financial systems under strain, central banks see gold as a dependable store of value.

Impact on Markets

This shift is already showing up in price action.

• Gold surged nearly 65% in 2025, its biggest annual gain since 1979.

• The US dollar index fell about 9.4%, marking its weakest year in eight years.

What It Means Going Forward

While the US dollar remains the world’s primary reserve currency, its dominance is clearly eroding. The growing role of gold highlights a long-term move toward safety, diversification, and reduced political risk.

If current trends continue, gold is likely to remain a core pillar of global reserves for years to come.

Key Takeaways

• US dollar share of global reserves: ~40%

• Gold share of global reserves: ~28% (highest since the 1990s)

• Gold now exceeds euro, yen, and pound combined in reserves

• Gold prices jumped 65% in 2025

• Dollar index dropped 9.4% in 2025