Gold Drops Below $4,000 as Strong US Dollar and Fed Rate Hike Expectations Pressure Bullion 
S&P Affirms Brazil’s BB Credit Rating with Stable Outlook Amid Fiscal Challenges 
Trump Threatens 100% Tariffs on Countries Imposing Digital Services Taxes on U.S. Tech Firms 
Asian Markets Rally as Micron and Qualcomm AI Outlook Lifts Global Tech Stocks 
Gold Prices Rise Above $4,000 as Inflation Data and Weaker Dollar Boost Demand 
Gold Prices Fall Below $4,000 as Strong Dollar, Fed Rate Hike Bets Weigh on Bullion 
Australian Household Spending Rebounds Strongly in May as Travel and Dining Drive Consumer Growth 
White House Seeks $87.6 Billion Emergency Funding for Iran War, Farmers, and Ebola Response 
Japan Signals Preference for Low Interest Rates as BOJ Policy Debate Intensifies 
Oil Prices Drop as Strait of Hormuz Shipping Recovers 
Iran Attack in Strait of Hormuz Pushes Oil Prices Higher 
Australia Jobs Growth Strengthens Rate Hike Outlook 
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 
Asian Currencies Trade Mixed as Yen Hovers Near 40-Year Low, Dollar Holds Firm on Fed Outlook 
Russian equities closed flat on Saturday, with the MOEX Russia Index ending unchanged at 0.00%. Market activity saw mixed performances among major stocks, as gains in financials and metals offset minor losses elsewhere.
Bank VTB PJSC (MCX:VTBR) emerged as the top performer, climbing 2.17% to 82.76. Moskovskaya Birzha PJSC (MCX:MOEX) followed with a 1.84% gain to 177.20, while MMC Norilsk Nickel PJSC (MCX:GMKN) advanced 1.68% to close at 117.30, buoyed by investor sentiment in the mining sector.
Conversely, diamond miner AK ALROSA PJSC (MCX:ALRS) slipped 0.19% to 46.46. Fertilizer giant PhosAgro PJSC (MCX:PHOR) declined 0.16% to 6,247.00, and Moskovskiy Kreditnyi Bank (MCX:CBOM) edged down 0.14% to 7.05.
Overall, advancing stocks outnumbered decliners on the Moscow Exchange, with 124 stocks gaining, 23 losing, and 2 closing flat. The Russian Volatility Index (RVI), tracking implied market volatility via MOEX options, remained unchanged at 30.06.
In commodities, gold futures for August rose 0.39% to $3,358.30 per troy ounce, driven by ongoing global uncertainty. Crude oil prices slipped, with August WTI down 0.30% to $67.34 per barrel, and September Brent declining 0.35% to $69.28, reflecting cautious sentiment in energy markets.
Currency markets showed the ruble weakening, with USD/RUB up 0.85% to 78.71 and EUR/RUB gaining 1.11% to 91.51. Meanwhile, the U.S. Dollar Index futures dropped 0.25% to 98.20, signaling mild pressure on the greenback amid broader market consolidation.
