Asian Stocks Slide as Central Bank Decisions and Key Data Keep Investors Cautious 
Gold Prices Slip Slightly in Asia as Silver Nears Record Highs on Dovish Fed Outlook 
Asian Technology and Chipmaking Stocks Slide as AI Spending Concerns Shake Markets 
Oil Prices Rebound as U.S.-Venezuela Tensions Offset Oversupply Concerns 
Asian Currencies Trade Sideways as Dollar Weakens Ahead of Key U.S. Data 
S&P 500 Slides as AI Chip Stocks Tumble, Cooling Tech Rally 
Russia Stocks End Flat as Energy and Retail Shares Show Mixed Performance 
Ireland Limits Planned Trade Ban on Israeli Settlements to Goods Only 
U.S. Dollar Slips Near Two-Month Low as Markets Await Key Jobs Data and Central Bank Decisions 
New Zealand Budget Outlook Shows Prolonged Deficits Despite Economic Recovery Hopes 
Bank of Japan Poised for Historic Rate Hike as Inflation Pressures Persist 
Japan PMI Data Signals Manufacturing Stabilization as Services Continue to Drive Growth 
Korea Zinc to Build $7.4 Billion Critical Minerals Refinery in Tennessee With U.S. Government Backing 
Dollar Struggles as Markets Eye Key Central Bank Decisions and Global Rate Outlooks 
Japan Business Sentiment Hits Four-Year High, Boosting Expectations of BOJ Rate Hike 
Wall Street Futures Slip as Tech Stocks Struggle Ahead of Key US Economic Data 
ASX Shares Slide After ASIC Imposes A$150 Million Capital Requirement 
Oil prices edged higher in Asian trading on Wednesday, supported by improved market sentiment following a new U.S.-Japan trade agreement and a surprise draw in U.S. crude stockpiles.
As of 22:07 ET (02:07 GMT), Brent crude futures for September rose 0.4% to $68.84 per barrel, while West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude gained 0.3% to $65.50 per barrel.
The gains came after three consecutive sessions of losses, which were driven by U.S.-EU trade tensions and investor concerns over President Donald Trump’s upcoming August 1 tariff deadline.
Investor sentiment improved after Trump announced a major trade deal with Japan on Tuesday, which includes a reduced 15% tariff on Japanese imports—down from the initially proposed 25%. The agreement also includes a $550 billion Japanese investment in the U.S. and increased access to Japanese markets for U.S. exports, including autos, agricultural goods, and energy products. Markets interpreted the deal as a potential boost to global trade and oil demand.
Adding to the bullish momentum, the American Petroleum Institute (API) reported an unexpected 577,000-barrel decline in U.S. crude inventories for the week ending July 18, reversing a massive 19.1 million-barrel build from the previous week. The data suggested a possible rebound in fuel consumption during the peak summer driving season.
Gasoline inventories fell by 1.2 million barrels, while distillate stocks—including diesel and heating oil—rose by 3.48 million barrels. Analysts at ING noted this would bring some relief to the tight middle distillates market.
Investors now await official data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) for confirmation. Increased fuel demand and easing trade concerns could continue to support oil prices in the near term.
