RBA Minutes Signal Australia Central Bank Remains Ready to Raise Interest Rates if Inflation Persists 
US Stock Futures Rise as US-Iran Ceasefire Hopes Boost Market Sentiment 
Trump Urges Gasoline Retailers to Cut Prices to $2.50 Per Gallon, Warns of Legal Action 
Japan Targets 1%+ Real Economic Growth With ¥370 Trillion Investment Plan 
Yen Falls to 40-Year Low as Markets Watch Japan Intervention and U.S. Jobs Report 
Dollar Slips Ahead of Key U.S. Jobs Data as Fed Rate Outlook, ECB, and Iran Talks Shape Forex Markets 
US Dollar Slips After PCE Inflation Data as Fed Rate Hike Expectations Stay Elevated 
Global Financial Firms Shift Asia Expansion Focus to South Korea as China, India Face Caution 
Trump Threatens 100% Tariffs on Countries Imposing Digital Services Taxes on U.S. Tech Firms 
China Factory PMI Seen Returning to Growth in June as AI Export Demand Supports Economy 
Gold Price Falls as Fed Rate Hike Fears and U.S.-Iran Tensions Weigh on Bullion 
Gold Price Ends Lower for Fourth Week Despite Rebound as Fed Rate Hike Bets Strengthen 
Central Banks Eye Gold, Reduce Dollar Exposure as AI Adoption Accelerates: OMFIF Survey 
Economic pessimism has set in – but there are reasons for Australians to be hopeful 
Argentina Economy Shrinks 1.5% in April, Recovery Under Milei Loses Momentum 
Asian Stocks End Strong Quarter as Dollar Surges, Yen Hits 40-Year Low Ahead of US Jobs Data 
U.S. stock index futures climbed sharply on Tuesday evening as optimism grew over a potential end to the ongoing Middle East conflict. The rally followed President Donald Trump's announcement that planned military strikes against Iran would be postponed by two weeks to allow ceasefire negotiations to move forward.
S&P 500 Futures jumped 2.2% to 6,804.75, Nasdaq 100 Futures surged 2.7% to 25,029.50, and Dow Jones Futures gained 2% to 47,760.0 by late Tuesday. Oil prices simultaneously tumbled more than 12% on the de-escalation news, reflecting a major shift in market sentiment.
Trump's decision to delay the strikes came just hours before a self-imposed deadline for severe action against Tehran. He credited Pakistani diplomatic efforts for helping broker the pause. Iran's Foreign Minister Seyed Aragchi responded positively, indicating that Tehran would halt its defensive operations if attacks on the country stopped, and confirmed that safe navigation through the Strait of Hormuz would be restored — a key condition Trump had outlined.
Earlier in the regular trading session, Wall Street closed mostly flat. The S&P 500 edged up 0.1% to 6,616.84, the Nasdaq Composite also rose 0.1% to 22,017.85, while the Dow Jones dipped 0.2% to 46,584.46. Semiconductor stocks stood out as a bright spot, with the SOX index gaining over 1%. Broadcom led the charge after announcing an expanded AI chip partnership with Google and Anthropic. Nvidia and Intel also posted modest to strong gains as bargain hunters returned to the sector following steep March losses.
Markets had been volatile throughout April amid conflicting signals about the Iran conflict, now entering its sixth week. Investors are now closely watching whether a formal ceasefire agreement can be reached in the days ahead.
