South Korea’s KOSPI Enters Bear Market Despite Remaining 2026’s Best-Performing Major Stock Index 
Malaysia Q2 Economy Grows 5.8%, Beating Forecasts on Strong Tech Exports and Domestic Demand 
South Korea Raises Interest Rates to 2.75% as Inflation and Weak Won Drive Tightening 
Gold Prices Fall Amid Rate Jitters; Copper Steady as China Stimulus Eyed 
Asian Stocks Rally as Cooling U.S. Inflation Boosts Fed Rate Cut Hopes 
Oil Prices Rise as U.S. Strikes on Iran Raise Strait of Hormuz Supply Fears 
Gold Prices Head for Biggest Weekly Loss Since June as Fed Rate Outlook Weighs 
Gold Price Holds Near Record High as Cooling U.S. Inflation Offsets Fed Caution 
Dollar Slides as Softer US Inflation Dims Fed Rate Hike Expectations 
Nikkei Plunges 5% as AI Stock Selloff Spreads Across Asia 
US Stock Futures Fall as Netflix Outlook, Chip Selloff and Iran Tensions Weigh on Markets 
The U.S. Treasuries climbed Friday ahead of the Federal Reserve’s Chair Jerome Powell’s speech, coupled with a host of FOMC speeches through the day, as well namely Evans, Bostic and Kaplan.
The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasuries remained slumped nearly 2-1/2 basis points to 2.95 percent, the super-long 30-year bond yields also plunged 2-1/2 basis points to 3.10 percent and the yield on the short-term 2-year traded tad lower at 2.50 percent by 11:15GMT.
In the US, durable goods orders figures are expected to report a decline in April of close to 1-1/2 percent m/m, but that looks set be driven by the highly volatile aircraft orders category. Excluding those, orders should increase by around 1/2 percent m/m.
The final release of the University of Michigan consumer sentiment survey, which is set to confirm that consumer confidence was unchanged in May with the headline index at 98.8, should be worth watching too.
Meanwhile, the S&P 500 Futures rose 0.07 percent to 2,729.50 by 11:20GMT, while at 11:00GMT, the FxWirePro's Hourly Dollar Strength Index remained neutral at 42.06 (a reading above +75 indicates a bullish trend, while that below -75 a bearish trend). For more details, visit http://www.fxwirepro.com/currencyindex
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