Asian Currencies Weaken as Dollar Rises, Kiwi Slides After RBNZ Hike 
Gold Prices Hold Near $4,400 as Fed Rate Hike Bets Ease 
Dollar Hits Two-Week High as Iran Conflict Lifts Oil and Bond Yields 
US Tech Giants’ AI Bond Boom Raises Euro Zone Borrowing Risks 
South Korea Inflation Rises to 3.1% in August 
Australia Trade Surplus Beats Forecasts in July as Exports Fall 
Asian Stocks Rise as Bond Yields Ease, Oil Prices Stabilize 
Asian Currencies Rise as Yen Surges on BOJ Rate Hike Bets 
US Oil Blockade Deepens Iran’s Economic Crisis 
U.S. Payrolls Seen Rebounding in August as Labor Market Stays Soft 
Treasury Yields Set to Stay High as Debt Supply Pressures Bond Market 
US Strikes Iran IRGC Targets as Conflict Escalates 
Yen Extends Gains as BOJ Rate Hike Bets Rise 
RBNZ Raises Interest Rate to 2.75%, Kiwi Dollar Slides 
Singapore Straits Times Index Hits Record High as Banks, Property Stocks Rally 
Gold Prices Hold Near $4,500 as Fed Rate Hike Bets Ease 
Oil Prices Surge as U.S.-Iran Conflict Threatens Hormuz Supply 
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Asian stock markets advanced on Friday, led by strong gains in technology shares after a Wall Street rally boosted investor sentiment. Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller’s comments helped ease concerns that the U.S. central bank could raise interest rates at its September meeting.
Investors are now focused on the U.S. nonfarm payrolls report due later Friday, which could provide fresh signals on the Federal Reserve’s next policy move. All three major Wall Street indexes gained more than 1% overnight, while U.S. stock futures were broadly steady during Asian trading.
Japan’s Nikkei climbed more than 1%, with SoftBank Group surging over 10%. However, a stronger yen limited broader gains. The Japanese currency has risen roughly 2.6% this week as traders increasingly consider the possibility of a Bank of Japan rate hike in September.
South Korea’s KOSPI gained about 1.4%, supported by semiconductor stocks. Samsung Electronics rose 1.6%, while SK Hynix advanced 2.4%. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng jumped 2.2%, with Alibaba and Baidu gaining more than 4% each.
Technology shares benefited from declining expectations of higher U.S. interest rates. The Nasdaq Composite closed 1.4% higher overnight as major artificial intelligence-related stocks rallied.
Markets reduced the probability of a Fed rate hike this month to around 50%, down from 63% earlier, according to CME FedWatch. Waller said recent economic data showed signs of disinflation and indicated he would support keeping rates unchanged if upcoming reports confirmed easing price pressures.
The shift also reduced pressure on bonds, with the U.S. 10-year Treasury yield standing near 4.768% after declining overnight.
Elsewhere, China’s Shanghai Composite and CSI 300 gained about 0.5% each, while Singapore’s Straits Times Index rose 1.1%. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 slipped 0.1%, bucking the broader Asian stock market rally.
Investors are awaiting U.S. employment data, with unemployment expected to remain at 4.1%. Meanwhile, Brent crude remained near $96 per barrel and was headed for a roughly 7% weekly gain as Middle East tensions and uncertainty surrounding energy flows through the Strait of Hormuz kept inflation risks elevated.
