Gold Price Holds Near $4,000 as Middle East Tensions and Fed Rate Hike Bets Grow 
Oil Prices Climb as Trump Escalates Iran Pressure, Strait of Hormuz Risks Grow 
Dollar Rises as Middle East Conflict Fuels Inflation and Rate Hike Fears 
South Korea’s KOSPI Triggers Trading Curb as AI Chip Stock Selloff Deepens 
China Q2 2026 GDP Misses Forecast as Weak Domestic Demand Offsets Export Strength 
Asian Stocks Rise as Softer U.S. Inflation Boosts Sentiment Despite Middle East Tensions 
Asian Currencies Stay Rangebound as Middle East Tensions, Weak China GDP Weigh on Sentiment 
European Stocks Slip as Middle East Tensions and Hormuz Threat Rattle Markets 
Australian Business Conditions Hold Steady as Easing Cost Pressures Face New Oil Price Risks 
US Inflation Expected to Ease in June, but Fed Rate Hike Risks Persist Amid Middle East Tensions 
Dollar Eases as Middle East Conflict, Fed Outlook and Japan Pension Policy Drive FX Markets 
ECB's Kocher Says No Inflation Spillover Yet From Iran Conflict, Warns Risks Remain 
Oil Prices Surge as U.S.-Iran Conflict Escalates and Strait of Hormuz Risks Grow 
Dollar Slides as Softer US Inflation Dims Fed Rate Hike Expectations 
Dollar Holds Steady Ahead of U.S. CPI as Oil Surge, Middle East Tensions Keep Markets on Edge 
Singapore GDP Grows 5.7% in Q2 2026 as AI-Driven Manufacturing Boosts Economy 
China’s economic growth lost momentum in April 2026 as weak consumer demand, slowing factory activity, and rising energy costs linked to the Iran conflict weighed heavily on the world’s second-largest economy. Fresh data released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) highlighted growing pressure on Beijing as policymakers struggle to stabilize recovery momentum.
China’s industrial output increased by 4.1% year-on-year in April, sharply lower than March’s 5.7% growth and below market expectations of 5.9%. The figure marked the slowest pace of factory production growth since July 2023, signaling weakening manufacturing activity amid higher production costs and soft domestic demand.
Retail sales in China also disappointed significantly, rising only 0.2% in April compared with 1.7% growth in March. Economists had expected a 2% increase, making the latest result the weakest consumption growth since December 2022. The sluggish retail data underscored ongoing concerns over fragile household spending and declining consumer confidence.
China’s auto sector continued to struggle, with domestic car sales falling 21.6% from a year earlier in April. The decline marked the seventh consecutive month of falling vehicle sales, despite aggressive overseas expansion efforts by Chinese automakers seeking to offset weak local demand.
Meanwhile, fixed-asset investment contracted 1.6% during the first four months of 2026, reversing the 1.7% growth recorded in the first quarter. Analysts cited slowing construction activity, heavy rainfall in southern China, and weaker infrastructure investment as major factors behind the decline.
Although China’s economy expanded 5.0% in the first quarter, analysts warn that growth remains uneven as industrial production continues to outpace domestic consumption. Ongoing weakness in the property market and rising geopolitical risks from the Middle East conflict are also increasing pressure on China’s economic outlook for 2026.
