Wall Street Ends Mixed as Micron Surges, Apple Drops After Price Hikes 
US Dollar Slips After PCE Inflation Data as Fed Rate Hike Expectations Stay Elevated 
Oil Prices Drop as Middle East Supply Recovery Eases Market Concerns 
Japan Signals Preference for Low Interest Rates as BOJ Policy Debate Intensifies 
BOJ Hawk Signals Faster Interest Rate Hikes Amid Inflation Risks 
Australian Household Spending Rebounds Strongly in May as Travel and Dining Drive Consumer Growth 
Gold Falls Below $4,000 as Strong Dollar and Fed Rate Hike Expectations Weigh on Prices 
White House Seeks $87.6 Billion Emergency Funding for Iran War, Farmers, and Ebola Response 
South Korea’s KOSPI Plunges as Apple Price Hikes and OpenAI IPO Delay Shake AI Chip Stocks 
Oil Prices Rebound as Strait of Hormuz Tensions Return After Ship Attack Near Oman 
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 
Asian Currencies Trade Mixed as Yen Hovers Near 40-Year Low, Dollar Holds Firm on Fed Outlook 
Trump Requests $11 Billion More in Farm Aid as Rising Costs Pressure U.S. Farmers 
Gold Prices Fall Below $4,000 as Strong Dollar, Fed Rate Hike Bets Weigh on Bullion 
Iran Attack in Strait of Hormuz Pushes Oil Prices Higher 
Asian stocks ticked up on Thursday, lifted by optimism over Nvidia’s (NASDAQ:NVDA) brief surge to a $4 trillion market cap and expectations of U.S. interest rate cuts later this year. The MSCI Asia-Pacific index (excluding Japan) rose 0.2%, as investors shrugged off U.S. President Donald Trump’s latest tariff threats targeting copper imports and several countries, including Brazil and Japan.
Despite Trump's announcement of a 50% copper tariff starting August 1 and a similar threat against Brazil, market reaction was muted. Japan’s Nikkei slipped 0.56%, while China’s CSI300 gained 0.2% and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng edged up 0.1%. U.S. futures dipped slightly in Asian trade, with S&P 500 and Nasdaq futures down 0.2%.
Nvidia's valuation milestone reinforced strong investor sentiment toward AI stocks. Meanwhile, Fed minutes released Wednesday showed most policymakers anticipate rate cuts later this year, suggesting any inflation shock from tariffs will likely be temporary. This buoyed risk appetite as investors bet on looser monetary policy.
The U.S. dollar weakened against major currencies, falling 0.4% versus the yen to 145.79, while the euro rose to $1.1742 and the pound to $1.3605. The Brazilian real neared a one-month low at 5.5826 per dollar following tariff threats.
Bitcoin hovered near its all-time high at $111,234.63, with ether up 1.3% to $2,775.54. OKX Singapore’s CEO noted investors are focusing on digital assets with real-world utility, with Bitcoin remaining the top choice.
In commodities, Brent crude dipped 0.16% to $70.08, U.S. crude fell 0.22% to $68.23, and spot gold rose 0.3% to $3,322.69, reflecting cautious optimism across global markets.
