Gold Drops Below $4,000 as Strong US Dollar and Fed Rate Hike Expectations Pressure Bullion 
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 
Wall Street Ends Lower as AI Stocks Drag Markets, Fed Rate Outlook Shifts 
White House Seeks $87.6 Billion Emergency Funding for Iran War, Farmers, and Ebola Response 
US Dollar Slips After PCE Inflation Data as Fed Rate Hike Expectations Stay Elevated 
Gold Prices Rise Above $4,000 as Inflation Data and Weaker Dollar Boost Demand 
Oil Prices Rebound as Strait of Hormuz Tensions Return After Ship Attack Near Oman 
Wall Street Ends Mixed as Micron Surges, Apple Drops After Price Hikes 
Trump Requests $11 Billion More in Farm Aid as Rising Costs Pressure U.S. Farmers 
World Bank Approves $1.1 Billion Emergency Funding for Bangladesh Amid Food and Energy Price Pressures 
US Dollar Slips After PCE Inflation Data Eases Fed Rate Hike Expectations 
Oil Prices Drop as Middle East Supply Recovery Eases Market Concerns 
Japan Signals Preference for Low Interest Rates as BOJ Policy Debate Intensifies 
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 
Asian markets saw mixed movement on Thursday as investor sentiment was rattled by renewed trade tensions and escalating geopolitical risks. U.S. President Donald Trump announced plans to impose new trade tariffs on major economies within weeks, signaling a tough negotiation stance. While Trump hinted at a completed U.S.-China trade deal, lack of concrete details and ongoing tariffs dampened investor optimism.
Markets also tracked weakness from Wall Street, as reports of U.S. personnel evacuations from Iraq and failed nuclear talks with Iran spurred concerns. Israel’s potential military response to Iran further weighed on risk appetite. Rising oil prices added to the cautious tone, though commodity-linked indexes gained modestly.
In Asia, S&P 500 futures dropped 0.4% during regional hours. China’s Shanghai Composite and CSI 300 edged lower, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng fell 0.5%. Despite initial gains earlier in the week on news of a U.S.-China trade framework, Chinese equities faced pressure due to vague deal terms and continued tariffs. EV giants BYD and NIO both dropped over 2% amid local headwinds.
Japan’s Nikkei 225 slipped 0.8%, with the yen’s strength and tech losses dragging the index. Australia’s ASX 200 bucked the trend, rising 0.2% on gains in energy and gold stocks, supported by expectations of rate cuts. South Korea’s KOSPI gained 0.5% to a 3.5-year high, boosted by political stability and a bullish earnings outlook.
Singapore’s Straits Times index rose 0.3%, while India’s Nifty 50 futures edged up 0.2% following reports that Reliance Industries is in talks to invest in OpenAI. Overall, uncertainty over global trade policies and Middle East tensions kept investors cautious across Asian markets.
