Japan Signals Preference for Low Interest Rates as BOJ Policy Debate Intensifies 
Wall Street Ends Mixed as Micron Surges, Apple Drops After Price Hikes 
Asian Currencies Trade Mixed as Yen Hovers Near 40-Year Low, Dollar Holds Firm on Fed Outlook 
Gold Price Ends Lower for Fourth Week Despite Rebound as Fed Rate Hike Bets Strengthen 
S&P Affirms Brazil’s BB Credit Rating with Stable Outlook Amid Fiscal Challenges 
Asian Stocks Sink as Apple Price Hikes Spark AI Valuation Fears, South Korea and Japan Lead Selloff 
Gold Prices Fall Below $4,000 as Strong Dollar, Fed Rate Hike Bets Weigh on Bullion 
South Korea’s KOSPI Plunges as Apple Price Hikes and OpenAI IPO Delay Shake AI Chip Stocks 
SpaceX Eyes Starlink Mobile Phone Service to Challenge Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile 
Asian Markets Rally as Micron and Qualcomm AI Outlook Lifts Global Tech Stocks 
Australian Household Spending Rebounds Strongly in May as Travel and Dining Drive Consumer Growth 
Morgan Stanley Sees Chinese Auto Market Recovery Gaining Momentum in Late Summer 
Wall Street Ends Lower as AI Stocks Drag Markets, Fed Rate Outlook Shifts 
Oil Prices Drop as Strait of Hormuz Shipping Recovers 
US Dollar Slips After PCE Inflation Data as Fed Rate Hike Expectations Stay Elevated 
Trump Threatens 100% Tariffs on Countries Imposing Digital Services Taxes on U.S. Tech Firms 
Asian stock markets mostly advanced on Tuesday, extending a strong regional rally driven by gains in technology and semiconductor stocks, with Japanese equities leading the surge. Japan’s TOPIX index climbed 1.5% to a fresh all-time high of 3,534.46 points, supported by broad-based buying in technology, industrial, and export-oriented shares. The Nikkei 225 also traded near record levels, rising 0.7% as heavyweight chipmakers and electronics companies continued to attract investor interest.
Japanese semiconductor stocks were among the top performers, with Renesas Electronics gaining around 3% and Rohm rising more than 2%. The rally reflects growing optimism around artificial intelligence-driven demand, particularly for data centres and advanced computing, as well as tighter supply conditions in key chip segments that are improving pricing power and earnings outlooks across the sector.
Positive momentum spread across the region, with Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index advancing 1.2%, while the Hang Seng TECH index jumped nearly 2% on strength in major technology names. Mainland Chinese markets also posted gains, as the CSI 300 rose 0.5% and the Shanghai Composite added 0.6%, supported by improved risk sentiment and technology sector strength.
In contrast, South Korean equities edged lower, with the KOSPI slipping 0.4% after reaching record highs in the previous session. Investors appeared cautious ahead of Samsung Electronics’ earnings report due later this week, which is expected to provide key insights into memory chip pricing and AI-related demand trends. Despite the pullback, South Korean stocks remained near elevated levels, reflecting continued confidence in the semiconductor cycle.
Broader Asian sentiment was underpinned by a positive lead from Wall Street, where major U.S. indexes ended higher on Monday. U.S. stock index futures were largely flat during Asian trading hours. Elsewhere, Singapore’s Straits Times Index rose 0.8%, while Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 dipped 0.4%. Futures linked to India’s Nifty 50 traded slightly lower ahead of the market open, as investors weighed global cues and upcoming earnings.
