🌅 NordFX Morning Update | Tuesday, 5 May 2026 🌏 Asian Markets Hong Kong's Hang Seng closed Monday +1.24% at 26,096, led by tech stocks. Tuesday's session opened firm near 26,168. Japan's Nikkei 225 last closed at 59,513 (+0.38%) on May 1 - Japanese markets remain on public holiday through May 6. Shanghai SSE edged up +0.11% to 4,112. South Korea's KOSPI surged +5.12% to 6,937 on Monday, driven by record highs in Samsung and SK Hynix on the back of strong U.S. tech earnings. 📉 Wall Street Monday close: Dow -1.13% → 48,942 | S&P 500 -0.41% → 7,201 | Nasdaq -0.19% → 25,068. Markets were rattled by fresh Strait of Hormuz escalation - the UAE intercepted Iranian missiles for the first time since the ceasefire, reviving fears of renewed conflict. Tuesday session is trading mixed: S&P 500 ~7,225 (-0.07%) | Dow ~49,261 (-0.48%) | Nasdaq ~25,137 (+0.09%). 🛢️ Oil WTI ~$103/bbl | Brent open ~$106/bbl - pulling back from Monday's spike (WTI +4.39% to $106.42, Brent +5.8% to $114.44) as markets assess Trump's "Project Freedom" escort operation and early signs of progress in U.S.-Iran diplomatic contacts. 🥇 Gold XAU/USD ~$4,573 (-1.5% today) - easing as some geopolitical tension subsides. Elevated oil prices continue to fuel inflation concerns, keeping rate-cut expectations off the table and limiting gold's upside. 💱 Forex EUR/USD: 1.1699 (-0.21%) | GBP/USD: 1.3533 (-0.31%) | USD/JPY: 157.20 (+0.10%). The dollar is firming on Tuesday. The yen, which spiked sharply last week on suspected BoJ intervention - pulling USD/JPY from 160.66 down to ~155.97 - has since partly reversed. ₿ Crypto Bitcoin ~$80,036 (+1.75%) - holding above the key $80K psychological level for the first time since January. Sentiment is supported by a new bipartisan U.S. Senate agreement on crypto market structure legislation. Note: Strategy (MicroStrategy) reports Q1 earnings today - a key event to watch given its 818,334 BTC position.