Oil Prices Rise as US-Iran Tensions Threaten Strait of Hormuz Oil Shipments 
Gold Price Ends Lower for Fourth Week Despite Rebound as Fed Rate Hike Bets Strengthen 
Iran Attack in Strait of Hormuz Pushes Oil Prices Higher 
US Stock Futures Rise as US-Iran Ceasefire Hopes Boost Market Sentiment 
China Factory PMI Seen Returning to Growth in June as AI Export Demand Supports Economy 
Wall Street Ends Lower as AI Stocks Drag Markets, Fed Rate Outlook Shifts 
SpaceX Eyes Starlink Mobile Phone Service to Challenge Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile 
S&P Affirms Brazil’s BB Credit Rating with Stable Outlook Amid Fiscal Challenges 
South Korea’s KOSPI Plunges as Apple Price Hikes and OpenAI IPO Delay Shake AI Chip Stocks 
China Expands Export Controls, Adds 20 Japanese Companies to Restricted List 
China Sets 1.25% Overnight Reverse Repo Rate Below Market Expectations 
Bank Regulation Rollbacks in the U.S. and UK Could Increase Financial Risks, Study Warns 
Morgan Stanley Sees Chinese Auto Market Recovery Gaining Momentum in Late Summer 
Oil Prices Rebound as Strait of Hormuz Tensions Return After Ship Attack Near Oman 
Asian Stocks Sink as Apple Price Hikes Spark AI Valuation Fears, South Korea and Japan Lead Selloff 
Asian Markets Slide Amid Election Jitters, China Gains on Positive Data
As Asian markets opened Tuesday, investor caution grew ahead of the closely contested U.S. presidential election. Regional markets reflected a risk-averse sentiment, with concerns further heightened by the Federal Reserve’s anticipated rate decisions later in the week.
China’s Market Gains on Strong PMI and Stimulus Hopes
China’s markets bucked the regional trend, with the Shanghai Shenzhen CSI 300 and Shanghai Composite rising 0.8%, and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index gaining 0.3%. Strong purchasing managers index (PMI) data revealed robust growth in China’s services sector for October, fostering optimism about Asia’s largest economy. This uptick follows recent monetary and fiscal measures from Beijing to boost economic recovery. China's National People’s Congress also commenced a key session expected to yield further fiscal support measures.
Australia and Japan Show Diverging Market Trends
Australia’s ASX 200 dropped 0.5% ahead of the Reserve Bank of Australia’s meeting, where interest rates are projected to remain unchanged. Analysts suggest the RBA may not cut rates until February 2025, with inflation and labor data still posing challenges.
Meanwhile, Japan’s Nikkei 225 and TOPIX indexes climbed 1.3% and 0.9% respectively, resuming trade after a long weekend.
Mixed Results Across South Korea and India
South Korea’s KOSPI fell 0.6% as October inflation missed targets, raising the possibility of interest rate cuts. In India, futures for the Nifty 50 index indicated a subdued start after a turbulent October due to foreign capital outflows and cooling economic optimism.
