Iran Vows Tougher Response as U.S. Sanctions Squeeze Economy 
European Stocks Flat as Iran Tensions, ECB Rate Hike Loom 
Hormuz Shipping Slows as Iran Threats Lift Oil Risks 
China Exports Surge 25% in August as Trade Surplus Hits $119 Billion 
US Stock Futures Mixed as Fed Rate Hike Bets Rise 
China Inflation Accelerates in August as CPI, PPI Rise 
Japan, U.S. Stay Aligned on Yen as Currency Surges 
Asian Stocks Mixed as Korean Chipmakers Rally 
Gold Prices Rise as Yen Rally Weakens Dollar 
Oil Prices Climb as Iran Threatens Gulf Energy Infrastructure 
China Boosts Gold Reserves by 650,000 Ounces as Prices Rally 
South Korea GDP Surges on Chip and AI Boom 
Gold Prices Rebound as Dollar Weakens, Fed Decision Looms 
ECB Set for September Rate Hike as Energy Prices Fuel Inflation 
Oil Prices Rally as Brent Nears $100 on U.S.-Iran Escalation 
China to Inject $45 Billion Into State Financial Institutions 
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Asian stocks ticked up on Thursday, lifted by optimism over Nvidia’s (NASDAQ:NVDA) brief surge to a $4 trillion market cap and expectations of U.S. interest rate cuts later this year. The MSCI Asia-Pacific index (excluding Japan) rose 0.2%, as investors shrugged off U.S. President Donald Trump’s latest tariff threats targeting copper imports and several countries, including Brazil and Japan.
Despite Trump's announcement of a 50% copper tariff starting August 1 and a similar threat against Brazil, market reaction was muted. Japan’s Nikkei slipped 0.56%, while China’s CSI300 gained 0.2% and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng edged up 0.1%. U.S. futures dipped slightly in Asian trade, with S&P 500 and Nasdaq futures down 0.2%.
Nvidia's valuation milestone reinforced strong investor sentiment toward AI stocks. Meanwhile, Fed minutes released Wednesday showed most policymakers anticipate rate cuts later this year, suggesting any inflation shock from tariffs will likely be temporary. This buoyed risk appetite as investors bet on looser monetary policy.
The U.S. dollar weakened against major currencies, falling 0.4% versus the yen to 145.79, while the euro rose to $1.1742 and the pound to $1.3605. The Brazilian real neared a one-month low at 5.5826 per dollar following tariff threats.
Bitcoin hovered near its all-time high at $111,234.63, with ether up 1.3% to $2,775.54. OKX Singapore’s CEO noted investors are focusing on digital assets with real-world utility, with Bitcoin remaining the top choice.
In commodities, Brent crude dipped 0.16% to $70.08, U.S. crude fell 0.22% to $68.23, and spot gold rose 0.3% to $3,322.69, reflecting cautious optimism across global markets.
