Trump Questions Housing Bill as He Prioritizes SAVE America Act 
South Korea’s KOSPI Plunges as Apple Price Hikes and OpenAI IPO Delay Shake AI Chip Stocks 
Asian Stocks Sink as Apple Price Hikes Spark AI Valuation Fears, South Korea and Japan Lead Selloff 
Gold Prices Drop as Fed Rate Outlook and Iran Tensions Weigh on Market 
Argentina Economy Shrinks 1.5% in April, Recovery Under Milei Loses Momentum 
US Stock Futures Steady as Investors Await Payrolls Data and Monitor Iran Tensions 
Asian Stocks Slip as US-Iran Ceasefire Hopes Lift Oil, Dollar Strength Persists 
Asian Currencies Stay Range-Bound as Investors Eye China Data, RBNZ Outlook and U.S.-Iran Ceasefire 
Oil Prices Rise as US-Iran Tensions Threaten Strait of Hormuz Oil Shipments 
Canada Grants C$7 Million to Greenland Molybdenum Mine to Strengthen Critical Minerals Supply 
Trump Suspends Some Morocco Fertilizer Tariffs to Ease U.S. Supply Shortage 
Wall Street Ends Lower as AI Stocks Drag Markets, Fed Rate Outlook Shifts 
Economic pessimism has set in – but there are reasons for Australians to be hopeful 
Trump Urges Gasoline Retailers to Cut Prices to $2.50 Per Gallon, Warns of Legal Action 
World Bank Approves $1.1 Billion Emergency Funding for Bangladesh Amid Food and Energy Price Pressures 
Gold Price Ends Lower for Fourth Week Despite Rebound as Fed Rate Hike Bets Strengthen 
The MSCI global equities index fell on Monday, and the dollar rose after Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell suggested that the central bank was not in a rush to cut interest rates. Oil futures remained flat, with trading volatility driven by tensions in the Middle East.
Brent Crude Suffers Significant Losses for Month and Quarter
Brent crude, a global benchmark, recorded its largest monthly drop since November 2022 and its biggest quarterly loss in a year. It slumped 17% in the third quarter as fears over reduced global demand overshadowed concerns about supply disruptions from the Middle East.
U.S. Markets React to Powell’s Comments
Wall Street experienced a mixed session, with some investors expecting more substantial easing from the Fed. However, Powell’s suggestion of two 25 basis point rate cuts this year, if economic conditions align with expectations, indicated a more measured approach.
“There were some expectations for a 50 basis point cut by the end of the year. That comment probably took it off the table,” said Robert Phipps, director at Per Stirling Capital Management in Austin, Texas.
Wall Street Performance and Quarter-End Adjustments
Despite initial declines during Powell’s speech, U.S. indexes rebounded, driven partly by quarter-end adjustments to portfolios. The Dow Jones Industrial Average edged up 0.04% to 34,330.15, the S&P 500 rose 0.42% to 4,562.48, and the Nasdaq Composite increased 0.38% to 13,189.17. For the month, the S&P 500 gained 2.01%, and it rose 5.53% for the quarter.
Dollar Strengthens as Rate Cut Hopes Dim; Treasury Yields Rise
The dollar index, which measures the greenback against a basket of currencies, rose 0.32% to 100.76. The euro fell 0.27% to $1.1133, while the dollar strengthened 1% against the Japanese yen to 143.61. Treasury yields also rose, with the 10-year note yield up 3.6 basis points to 3.785%.
Energy and Precious Metals Market Update
In energy markets, U.S. crude closed at $68.17 per barrel, and Brent crude edged down 21 cents to $71.77 per barrel, marking its largest monthly drop since November 2022 and its biggest quarterly decline in a year.
Gold prices, after a strong rally, eased slightly with spot gold falling 1% to $1,831.39 an ounce, while U.S. gold futures declined 0.54% to $1,829.90 an ounce.
