US Stock Futures Hold Steady as Soft Inflation Data Eases Fed Rate Hike Fears 
Asian Stocks Slide as Chip Selloff Deepens Ahead of TSMC Earnings 
Gold Price Holds Near $4,000 as Middle East Tensions and Fed Rate Hike Bets Grow 
Dollar Slides as Softer US Inflation Dims Fed Rate Hike Expectations 
US Inflation Expected to Ease in June, but Fed Rate Hike Risks Persist Amid Middle East Tensions 
Oil Prices Surge as U.S.-Iran Conflict Escalates and Strait of Hormuz Risks Grow 
China Home Prices Fall Again in June Despite Slower Pace of Decline 
UBS Boosts China Tech Bets, Adds Kuaishou and Meituan to Focus List 
Asian Currencies Hold Steady as Middle East Tensions Offset Weaker US Dollar 
China Trade Surplus Hits $125.6 Billion as June Exports, Imports Smash Forecasts 
Gold Prices Slip as Oil Rally Fuels Inflation Fears, Strengthens Dollar 
South Korea’s KOSPI Enters Bear Market Despite Remaining 2026’s Best-Performing Major Stock Index 
Oil Prices Rise as U.S. Strikes on Iran Raise Strait of Hormuz Supply Fears 
Japanese Yen Holds Steady as Intervention Hopes Grow Ahead of U.S. CPI Data 
Port of Los Angeles Posts Record June Cargo Volume as Importers Rush Ahead of U.S. Tariffs 
Asian Currencies Stay Rangebound as Middle East Tensions, Weak China GDP Weigh on Sentiment 
Asian Stocks Rally as Cooling U.S. Inflation Boosts Fed Rate Cut Hopes 
The U.S. dollar weakened on Monday as investors turned cautious following renewed tariff threats from U.S. President Donald Trump, triggering a broad risk-off move across global markets. Safe-haven currencies such as the Japanese yen and Swiss franc gained sharply as concerns grew over escalating trade tensions between the United States and Europe.
Over the weekend, Trump announced plans to impose an additional 10% import tariff starting February 1 on goods from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Finland, and Britain. The tariffs, he said, would remain in place until the United States is allowed to buy Greenland. The remarks immediately drew strong criticism from major European Union countries, with France describing the move as economic blackmail and proposing unprecedented countermeasures in response.
In early Asian trading, the foreign exchange market initially reacted by selling the euro and British pound. The euro briefly fell to a seven-week low, while sterling touched a one-month trough. However, as trading progressed, sentiment shifted and the dollar came under pressure instead, reflecting growing investor unease about U.S. political and trade policy risks.
The euro rebounded to around $1.1618, while the British pound recovered to approximately $1.3387. Analysts noted that although tariffs typically weigh on targeted currencies, recent history suggests that heightened policy uncertainty originating from the United States often results in dollar weakness. Similar dynamics were seen last year following Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariff announcements, which triggered a selloff in U.S. assets.
The dollar fell against traditional safe havens, sliding to near 0.7989 versus the Swiss franc and weakening to around 157.63 yen. The dollar index hovered close to 99.17, indicating subdued overall performance.
Risk-sensitive currencies showed mixed moves, with the Australian dollar edging lower while the New Zealand dollar posted modest gains. Meanwhile, cryptocurrencies reflected the risk-off mood, as bitcoin dropped to a one-week low and ether recorded steeper losses.
Overall, markets appear to be pricing in higher political risk premiums for U.S. assets, underscoring concerns that aggressive trade rhetoric could undermine confidence in the dollar and global financial stability.
