Gold Prices Fall Below $4,000 as Strong Dollar, Fed Rate Hike Bets Weigh on Bullion 
Asian Stocks Sink as Apple Price Hikes Spark AI Valuation Fears, South Korea and Japan Lead Selloff 
Australian Household Spending Rebounds Strongly in May as Travel and Dining Drive Consumer Growth 
Wall Street Ends Mixed as Micron Surges, Apple Drops After Price Hikes 
Bank Regulation Rollbacks in the U.S. and UK Could Increase Financial Risks, Study Warns 
SpaceX Eyes Starlink Mobile Phone Service to Challenge Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile 
South Korea’s KOSPI Plunges as Apple Price Hikes and OpenAI IPO Delay Shake AI Chip Stocks 
World Bank Approves $1.1 Billion Emergency Funding for Bangladesh Amid Food and Energy Price Pressures 
US Dollar Slips After PCE Inflation Data as Fed Rate Hike Expectations Stay Elevated 
BOJ Hawk Signals Faster Interest Rate Hikes Amid Inflation Risks 
Iran Attack in Strait of Hormuz Pushes Oil Prices Higher 
S&P Affirms Brazil’s BB Credit Rating with Stable Outlook Amid Fiscal Challenges 
Gold Price Ends Lower for Fourth Week Despite Rebound as Fed Rate Hike Bets Strengthen 
US Dollar Slips After PCE Inflation Data Eases Fed Rate Hike Expectations 
Asian Markets Rally as Micron and Qualcomm AI Outlook Lifts Global Tech Stocks 
Australia Jobs Growth Strengthens Rate Hike Outlook 
Wall Street Ends Lower as AI Stocks Drag Markets, Fed Rate Outlook Shifts 
Asian markets edged higher on Tuesday as investors focused on U.S. trade talks, inflation data, and corporate earnings. The MSCI Asia-Pacific index outside Japan gained 0.4%, while Japan's Nikkei added 0.2%. Optimism was supported by Nvidia’s (NASDAQ: NVDA) plan to resume sales of its H20 AI chips in China, boosting Nasdaq futures by 0.5%.
The dollar held recent gains, trading at 147.62 yen, near a three-week high. The euro rebounded 0.1% to $1.1680 after a four-day slide. U.S. crude slipped 0.5% to $66.63 per barrel as President Donald Trump issued a 50-day ultimatum for Russia to end the Ukraine war or face expanded energy sanctions. Gold rose 0.6% to $3,363.40 per ounce, and silver hit a new high, trading at $38.25.
Trump also hinted at tariff flexibility following threats of imposing 30% duties on the EU and Mexico by August 1. The European Union warned of countermeasures, while Japan seeks high-level trade talks with the U.S. this Friday. Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, facing an election challenge, is expected to meet U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in Tokyo.
In economic news, China’s Q2 slowdown was less severe than expected, signaling resilience amid tariffs. Japanese 10-year bond yields hit 1.595%, the highest since 2008, on political and economic uncertainty.
U.S. earnings season begins this week, with bank results closely watched. S&P 500 Q2 earnings are forecast to rise 5.8% year-over-year, down from 10.2% in April. Investors await U.S. June inflation data for further policy cues. Euro Stoxx 50, DAX, and FTSE futures were modestly higher, indicating a positive European open.
