South Korea’s KOSPI Plunges as Apple Price Hikes and OpenAI IPO Delay Shake AI Chip Stocks 
Economic pessimism has set in – but there are reasons for Australians to be hopeful 
Oil Prices Rise as US-Iran Tensions Threaten Strait of Hormuz Oil Shipments 
China Factory PMI Seen Returning to Growth in June as AI Export Demand Supports Economy 
Trump Urges Gasoline Retailers to Cut Prices to $2.50 Per Gallon, Warns of Legal Action 
Canada Grants C$7 Million to Greenland Molybdenum Mine to Strengthen Critical Minerals Supply 
Gold Price Falls as Fed Rate Hike Fears and U.S.-Iran Tensions Weigh on Bullion 
Japan Targets 1%+ Real Economic Growth With ¥370 Trillion Investment Plan 
Trump Threatens 100% Tariffs on Countries Imposing Digital Services Taxes on U.S. Tech Firms 
US Dollar Slips After PCE Inflation Data as Fed Rate Hike Expectations Stay Elevated 
Asian Stocks Sink as Apple Price Hikes Spark AI Valuation Fears, South Korea and Japan Lead Selloff 
Wall Street Ends Lower as AI Stocks Drag Markets, Fed Rate Outlook Shifts 
Oil Prices Slip as U.S.-Iran Peace Talks and Strait of Hormuz Risks Keep Markets on Edge 
Argentina Economy Shrinks 1.5% in April, Recovery Under Milei Loses Momentum 
China Manufacturing PMI Edges Higher in June as Exports and AI Investment Boost Growth 
Dollar Slips Ahead of Key U.S. Jobs Data as Fed Rate Outlook, ECB, and Iran Talks Shape Forex Markets 
The S&P 500 closed at a new high on Thursday as backed up by an article from the site Investing.com, boosted by a rally in semiconductor stocks led by Micron Technology. The chipmaker’s shares surged nearly 15% after issuing better-than-expected fiscal fourth-quarter results and strong guidance for the current quarter, attributed to demand for its high-bandwidth memory chips fueled by AI. Super Micro Computer Inc. fell over 12% after news of a DOJ investigation.
Southwest Airlines Rises on Raised Guidance and Buyback
Southwest Airlines stock jumped more than 5% after raising its revenue-per-capacity guidance and announcing a $2.5 billion stock repurchase program, adding to market gains, as explained also by Reuters.
As per The Wall Street Journal, durable goods orders unexpectedly rose in August, and jobless claims dropped, signaling economic resilience. GDP remained steady at a 3.0% annualized gain for Q2, the largest in two quarters. The upcoming PCE price index data — the Federal Reserve's preferred measure of inflation — will be closely watched as the central bank assesses its rate policy.
China Tech Stocks Surge Amid Stimulus Hopes
Chinese tech giants Alibaba, JD.com, and Baidu saw their shares climb after Beijing pledged additional fiscal stimulus to meet its growth target of approximately 5%, fueling a broader market rally.
