Italy’s Economy Outpaces Eurozone Peers as Investment Spending Fuels Growth 
Australia Eases Capital Gains Tax Reforms to Support Small Businesses and Startups 
Oil Prices Drop as U.S.-Iran Peace Deal Eases Supply Concerns 
Russia Stocks End Flat as MOEX Index Hits New 52-Week Low; Gold Falls and Oil Mixed 
Asian Currencies Stabilize as Dollar Holds Near Two-Month High After Fed Hawkish Signal 
German Industry Employment Falls to Lowest Level in a Decade 
Japan Signals Readiness to Intervene as USD/JPY Nears 161 Amid Yen Weakness 
Trump and Iran Sign Framework Peace Deal in France Amid Ongoing Middle East Tensions 
Fed Chair Kevin Warsh Signals Policy Overhaul as Hawkish Rate Outlook Rattles Markets 
Japan Inflation Stays Below BOJ Target Despite Rate Hike and Rising Energy Cost Risks 
Gold Prices Rebound on U.S.-Iran Peace Deal Optimism Despite Fed Rate Hike Signals 
Trump Says No Hormuz Strait Tolls During 60-Day Iran Ceasefire 
Europe EV Demand Surges as Fuel Prices Rise Amid Iran Conflict 
Asian Stocks Rally as Japan and South Korea Reach Record Highs on US-Iran Peace Deal 
Oil Prices Slide as U.S.-Iran Deal and Hormuz Reopening Ease Supply Concerns 
Dollar Surges After Fed Holds Rates Steady, Signals Potential Tightening Ahead 
Asian markets were mostly subdued on Tuesday as investors assessed the fragile U.S.-China trade truce and growing concerns over renewed technology tensions. South Korea’s KOSPI led regional losses, retreating sharply after a record-setting rally, while investors in Australia awaited the Reserve Bank of Australia’s (RBA) latest interest rate decision.
On Wall Street, stocks ended mixed overnight, supported by gains in the tech sector following a $38 billion cloud partnership between Amazon and OpenAI. However, U.S. stock futures slipped slightly during Asian trading hours, signaling investor caution amid ongoing geopolitical uncertainty.
Tensions resurfaced after U.S. President Donald Trump announced that Nvidia’s next-generation Blackwell AI chips would be reserved for domestic use, effectively restricting exports to China. In a “60 Minutes” interview, Trump emphasized that these advanced chips would “stay in the U.S.,” highlighting the persistence of tech export curbs even after the recently agreed one-year trade truce. The move raised fresh concerns over potential supply-chain disruptions and the impact on China’s technology sector.
Following the Trump-Xi summit in South Korea, Chinese Ambassador to the U.S. Xie Feng urged Washington to respect Beijing’s “red lines,” stressing that while the truce has “recalibrated” relations, tensions could easily reignite if issues such as Taiwan and human rights are challenged.
In regional markets, China’s CSI 300 slipped 0.5%, while the Shanghai Composite dipped 0.3%. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index was flat, and Japan’s Nikkei 225 was little changed after a holiday, though the TOPIX rose 0.4%. Singapore’s Straits Times Index edged down 0.2%, and India’s Nifty 50 futures also moved slightly lower.
Attention turned to the RBA, which was widely expected to keep rates unchanged at 3.60% amid sticky inflation. Investors are watching closely for signals on potential rate cuts in 2026 as global economic uncertainty lingers.
