Singapore Growth Outlook Brightens for 2025 as Economists Flag AI and Geopolitical Risks 
Oil Prices Slip in Asia as 2026 Supply Glut Fears and Russia-Ukraine Talks Weigh on Markets 
Korea Zinc to Build $7.4 Billion Critical Minerals Refinery in Tennessee With U.S. Government Backing 
Oil Prices Rebound as Trump Orders Blockade of Sanctioned Venezuelan Tankers 
Chinese Robotaxi Stocks Rally as Tesla Boosts Autonomous Driving Optimism 
Gold and Silver Surge as Safe Haven Demand Rises on U.S. Economic Uncertainty 
RBA Unlikely to Cut Interest Rates in 2026 as Inflation Pressures Persist, Says Westpac 
Australian government bonds remained nearly flat during Asian trading session Wednesday after the country’s consumer price inflation (CPI) for the second quarter of this year edged tad higher, compared to market expectations as well as the previous quarter.
Investors will now look forward to the release of Australia’s retail sales data for the month of June, scheduled for end of this week, for further direction in the debt market.
The yield on Australia’s benchmark 10-year note, which moves inversely to its price, hovered around 1.202 percent, the yield on the long-term 30-year bond plunged remained nearly flat at 1.864 percent and the yield on short-term 2-year also remained steady at 0.859 percent by 05:05GMT.
Q2 headline inflation rebounded after being flat in Q1. In annual terms, it increased to 1.6 percent (from 1.3 percent in Q1). The largest positive contributions for the quarter came from fuel prices rising 10.2 percent, international holiday travel and accommodation increasing by 2.7 percent and tobacco prices rising 2.4 percent. Partly damping these increases were fruit and vegetables prices falling 2.8 percent and electricity prices coming off 1.7 percent, ANZ Research reported.
Global risk appetite may be constrained by US president Trump’s lashing out at China as a “rip off” and for failing to buy sufficient agricultural goods which dampened market expectations for the ongoing US-China trade talks, OCBC Treasury Research reported.
Wall Street slipped on renewed trade tensions, while UST bonds continued to tread water with the 10-year UST bond yield at 2.06 percent ahead of FOMC. If the FOMC delivers the widely expected 25bps cut, it may be “buy the rumour sell the fact” unless there is a surprise 50bps cut and/or Fed chair Powell clearly articulates that they are not done yet with the insurance cuts beyond the next 25bp cut, the report added.
Meanwhile, the S&P/ASX 200 index remained flat at 6,756.50 by 05:10GMT.
