Markets have started Tuesday on a cautious footing as investors continue to assess last week's weaker than expected US jobs report, which has reduced expectations for further Federal Reserve rate hikes this year.

Life in the Algarve runs on two currencies, whether residents like it or not. The pension might land in sterling, the rent and the weekly shop are settled in euros, and somewhere in between sits the money set aside for enjoying everything the region has to offer — a long lunch in Tavira, a wine tasting near Lagoa, or a quiet evening in front of a screen when the heat keeps everyone indoors.

German Retail Sales have this morning surprised markets as May's numbers showed an increase of over 2% to provide some much-needed relief for the Euro. 

The fragile ceasefire between the United States and Iran has once again come under significant strain, with another weekend of military escalation reminding markets just how quickly geopolitical risk can return.

Sterling remains under pressure and is on course for its worst monthly performance against the US Dollar since July 2025. The Pound has fallen around 2.2% during June, trading close to recent lows, its weakest level since November, as investors continue to reassess both the UK's political outlook and expectations for Bank of England policy.

Early this morning we had jobs figures released for Australia, which showed a healthy performance with over 40,000 jobs added last month. This represented the strongest increase in five months, coupled with the unemployment rate dropping from 4.5% to 4.4%.

The US Dollar has continued its momentum as it hovered near a 13-month high as growing expectations around interest rate hikes by the Federal Reserve continued to climb.

DXY, the dollar index reached a one year high this morning. Touching a level of 101.148, before falling off a little, but still holding a high level, as markets continuing to open across Europe.