China Sets 1.25% Overnight Reverse Repo Rate Below Market Expectations 
Oil Prices Rise as US-Iran Tensions Threaten Strait of Hormuz Oil Shipments 
Trump Questions Housing Bill as He Prioritizes SAVE America Act 
Asian Currencies Trade Mixed as Yen Hovers Near 40-Year Low, Dollar Holds Firm on Fed Outlook 
Asian Stocks Sink as Apple Price Hikes Spark AI Valuation Fears, South Korea and Japan Lead Selloff 
Gold Prices Rise Above $4,000 as Inflation Data and Weaker Dollar Boost Demand 
SpaceX Eyes Starlink Mobile Phone Service to Challenge Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile 
Wall Street Ends Mixed as Micron Surges, Apple Drops After Price Hikes 
Gold Prices Fall Below $4,000 as Strong Dollar, Fed Rate Hike Bets Weigh on Bullion 
World Bank Approves $1.1 Billion Emergency Funding for Bangladesh Amid Food and Energy Price Pressures 
Wall Street Ends Lower as AI Stocks Drag Markets, Fed Rate Outlook Shifts 
China Expands Export Controls, Adds 20 Japanese Companies to Restricted List 
South Korea’s KOSPI Plunges as Apple Price Hikes and OpenAI IPO Delay Shake AI Chip Stocks 
Trump Urges Gasoline Retailers to Cut Prices to $2.50 Per Gallon, Warns of Legal Action 
Asian Stocks Slip as US-Iran Ceasefire Hopes Lift Oil, Dollar Strength Persists 
Mainland Chinese stocks surged to multi-year highs after returning from an extended break, fueled by investor excitement over Beijing’s aggressive stimulus measures. The CSI300 blue-chip index jumped 5.5% in early trade to reach its highest point since July 2022, while the Shanghai Composite Index climbed 5.2%, marking its highest level since December 2021.
However, this optimism did not extend to other Asian markets. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index dropped 2.5%, driven by a 5.3% slump in its Mainland Properties Index. Overall, MSCI’s Asia-Pacific index outside Japan fell by more than 1%.
Experts suggest that the Chinese market’s rise reflects investor confidence in the local market, while profit-taking could be behind Hong Kong's decline. Investors now await further details on China's stimulus pledges.
Meanwhile, fears of a Middle East conflict disrupted global markets. Brent crude briefly surged above $90 per barrel due to concerns about oil supply disruptions, but later retreated. Additionally, U.S. Treasury yields held steady as investors reconsidered the likelihood of further interest rate hikes from the Federal Reserve following strong U.S. jobs data.
