Dollar Holds Firm as U.S.-Iran Talks Ease Tensions, GBP/USD Slips Amid UK Political Uncertainty 
US Stock Futures Slip After Wall Street Rally Fueled by US-Iran Deal and Chipmaker Surge 
Trump Questions USMCA Renewal as Trade Talks Continue 
Russia Stocks End Flat as MOEX Index Hits New 52-Week Low; Gold Falls and Oil Mixed 
France Faces Long Road to Economic Rebalancing as Weak Demand and High Rates Weigh, Says Citi 
Europe EV Demand Surges as Fuel Prices Rise Amid Iran Conflict 
Canada, British Columbia Launch $5 Billion Infrastructure Partnership to Boost Housing, Transit, and Healthcare 
BOJ Signals More Rate Hikes as Inflation Risks Rise Amid Energy Price Pressures 
Canada Imposes 10% Tariff on Canned Vegetable Imports to Protect Domestic Industry 
Trump Says No Hormuz Strait Tolls During 60-Day Iran Ceasefire 
US Stock Futures Recover as Iran Signals Progress in Peace Talks 
Asian Stocks Surge as Oil Prices Fall and Strong US Dollar Weighs on Markets 
Asian Currencies Stabilize as Dollar Holds Near Two-Month High After Fed Hawkish Signal 
Oil Prices Slide as U.S.-Iran Deal and Hormuz Reopening Ease Supply Concerns 
Oil Prices Steady as U.S.-Iran Truce Uncertainty and Middle East Tensions Keep Markets on Edge 
Oil Prices Drop as U.S.-Iran Talks Ease Supply Concerns 
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.
