S&P Affirms Brazil’s BB Credit Rating with Stable Outlook Amid Fiscal Challenges 
Gold Drops Below $4,000 as Strong US Dollar and Fed Rate Hike Expectations Pressure Bullion 
South Korea’s KOSPI Plunges as Apple Price Hikes and OpenAI IPO Delay Shake AI Chip Stocks 
Australian Household Spending Rebounds Strongly in May as Travel and Dining Drive Consumer Growth 
Gold Prices Rise Above $4,000 as Inflation Data and Weaker Dollar Boost Demand 
Oil Prices Drop as Middle East Supply Recovery Eases Market Concerns 
Asian Stocks Sink as Apple Price Hikes Spark AI Valuation Fears, South Korea and Japan Lead Selloff 
Asian Markets Rally as Micron and Qualcomm AI Outlook Lifts Global Tech Stocks 
Australia Jobs Growth Strengthens Rate Hike Outlook 
Morgan Stanley Sees Chinese Auto Market Recovery Gaining Momentum in Late Summer 
South Korea’s KOSPI Jumps Over 5% as Samsung, SK Hynix Rally on Micron Earnings Boost 
Wall Street Ends Lower as AI Stocks Drag Markets, Fed Rate Outlook Shifts 
Wall Street Ends Mixed as Micron Surges, Apple Drops After Price Hikes 
World Bank Approves $1.1 Billion Emergency Funding for Bangladesh Amid Food and Energy Price Pressures 
SpaceX Eyes Starlink Mobile Phone Service to Challenge Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile 
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 edged higher on Friday after two days of steep losses, supported by investor caution ahead of U.S.-China trade talks and mixed signals from the new U.S.-U.K. trade framework. Spot gold rose 0.4% to $3,320.95 per ounce, while June gold futures gained 0.5% to $3,329.24 as of 05:44 GMT. Despite recent volatility, the yellow metal is poised for a weekly gain of over 2%, reflecting lingering uncertainty in global markets.
Earlier in the Asian session, gold slipped on optimism surrounding easing trade tensions. However, doubts remain over the broader impact of the U.K. trade agreement, especially with the U.S. maintaining a 10% tariff on British imports. In response, the U.K. reduced its tariff rate to 1.8% from 5.1%. President Donald Trump confirmed the deal on Thursday and hinted at substantive upcoming negotiations with China, scheduled for the weekend.
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick emphasized that more trade deals are expected but reiterated the administration’s intent to uphold the 10% blanket tariff. ING analysts expressed skepticism that the U.K. deal would spark wider trade de-escalation, noting that only progress with China could significantly impact global trade dynamics.
A weaker U.S. dollar also supported gold prices by making the metal more attractive to international buyers. Meanwhile, silver futures held steady at $32.653 an ounce, and platinum rose 0.5% to $986.55.
In base metals, copper prices dipped despite resilient Chinese trade data. London copper futures fell 0.4% to $9,395.20 a ton, while July copper contracts on U.S. exchanges dropped 1.4% to $4.540 a pound, reflecting cautious sentiment ahead of trade talks with Beijing.
