Dollar Holds Firm as Strong U.S. Data, Fed Expectations and Global Central Bank Moves Shape Markets 
Oil Prices Steady as Markets Weigh U.S.-Iran Talks, Dollar Strength Caps Gains 
Indian Rupee Strengthens Sharply After U.S.-India Trade Deal Announcement 
Oil Prices Slide Nearly 3% as U.S.-Iran Talks Ease Geopolitical Tensions 
Japan’s Agricultural, Forestry and Fishery Exports Hit Record High in 2025 Despite Tariffs 
IMF Forecasts Global Inflation Decline as Growth Remains Resilient 
South Korea Inflation Hits Five-Month Low as CPI Reaches Central Bank Target 
RBA Raises Interest Rates by 25 Basis Points as Inflation Pressures Persist 
S&P 500 Rises as AI Stocks and Small Caps Rally on Strong Earnings Outlook 
China and Uruguay Strengthen Strategic Partnership Amid Shifting Global Order 
UK Employers Plan Moderate Pay Rises as Inflation Pressures Ease but Persist 
South Korea Factory Activity Hits 18-Month High as Export Demand Surges 
Gold Prices Stabilize in Asian Trade After Sharp Weekly Losses Amid Fed Uncertainty 
EU Recovery Fund Faces Bottlenecks Despite Driving Digital and Green Projects 
Asian equities mostly drifted lower on Thursday as traders weighed a fragile Israel-Iran ceasefire against the fast-approaching July 9 U.S. tariff deadline. Profit-taking and caution overshadowed Wall Street’s recent strength, even as tech optimism lifted Japanese stocks.
South Korea’s KOSPI led regional losses, tumbling 2.2% after a sharp month-long advance of nearly 13%. The pullback came as investors locked in gains near a four-year high. Mainland Chinese markets also softened: the Shanghai Composite dipped 0.1% and the CSI 300 shed 0.2%. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng slid 0.5%, while Australia’s ASX 200 slipped 0.2%. Singapore’s Straits Times Index was little changed, and futures tracking India’s Nifty 50 held flat.
Risk appetite remained subdued despite a tentative truce between Israel and Iran, brokered by U.S. President Donald Trump, that helped ease supply-chain fears. Market focus has now shifted to potential retaliatory tariffs if trade talks fail to progress before the deadline, a scenario that could sap Asia’s export momentum.
Adding to uncertainty, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell told Congress that rate cuts will wait until officials see how tariffs affect inflation, warning that levies could drive prices higher than a simple one-off increase. His remarks reinforced a cautious tone across global markets, leaving U.S. stock-index futures flat during Asian hours.
Japan bucked the region’s downturn. The Nikkei 225 jumped 1% to a four-month peak as chip-related heavyweights tracked Nvidia’s overnight record close. Advantest climbed 3%, Tokyo Electron gained 2.6%, and SoftBank Group rallied 4.2%, pushing the broader TOPIX up 0.3%. Japan’s chief trade negotiator Ryosei Akazawa vowed to keep negotiating with Washington, stressing that Tokyo will not accept a 25% tariff on autos.
