Philippines Manufacturing PMI Hits Nine-Month High Despite Weak Confidence Outlook 
Gold, Silver, and Platinum Rally as Precious Metals Recover from Sharp Selloff 
Japan’s Agricultural, Forestry and Fishery Exports Hit Record High in 2025 Despite Tariffs 
Taiwan Urges Stronger Trade Ties With Fellow Democracies, Rejects Economic Dependence on China 
Indian Rupee Strengthens Sharply After U.S.-India Trade Deal Announcement 
Dollar Holds Firm as Strong U.S. Data, Fed Expectations and Global Central Bank Moves Shape Markets 
EU Recovery Fund Faces Bottlenecks Despite Driving Digital and Green Projects 
JPMorgan Lifts Gold Price Forecast to $6,300 by End-2026 on Strong Central Bank and Investor Demand 
Starmer’s China Visit Highlights Western Balancing Act Amid U.S.-China Rivalry 
Gold Prices Stabilize in Asian Trade After Sharp Weekly Losses Amid Fed Uncertainty 
Asian Markets Slide as Silver Volatility, Earnings Season, and Central Bank Meetings Rattle Investors 
South Korea Inflation Hits Five-Month Low as CPI Reaches Central Bank Target 
RBA Raises Interest Rates by 25 Basis Points as Inflation Pressures Persist 
Oil Prices Steady as Markets Weigh U.S.-Iran Talks, Dollar Strength Caps Gains 
U.S. Stock Futures Slip as Markets Brace for Big Tech Earnings and Key Data 
India Budget 2025 Highlights Manufacturing Push but Falls Short of Market Expectations 
Oil prices remained largely unchanged in Asian trading on Wednesday as markets digested geopolitical developments and mixed demand signals. Brent crude futures for September hovered at $67.09 per barrel, while West Texas Intermediate (WTI) fell 0.1% to $64.06 by 21:00 ET (01:00 GMT). The pause in price movement comes after U.S. President Donald Trump announced that Israel had agreed to a 60-day ceasefire with Hamas, urging the Palestinian group to finalize the deal. A potential ceasefire, following a similar Israel-Iran truce, suggests easing tensions in the Middle East—a region critical to global oil supply. However, reduced geopolitical risk often signals fewer supply disruptions, putting downward pressure on crude markets.
Adding to bearish sentiment, the American Petroleum Institute (API) reported a surprise build in U.S. crude inventories, with stocks rising by 680,000 barrels for the week ending June 27. Analysts had expected a draw of 2.26 million barrels, raising concerns about weaker-than-anticipated fuel demand during the peak summer travel season. This data ends a streak of five consecutive weeks of significant inventory draws and raises questions about consumer sentiment amid inflationary pressures and ongoing trade policy uncertainty.
Investor focus is also shifting to the upcoming OPEC+ meeting scheduled for July 6, where the group is expected to discuss a potential increase in oil output. Meanwhile, Trump’s stance on maintaining trade tariffs ahead of the July 9 deadline adds another layer of market volatility. The evolving geopolitical landscape, coupled with surprising shifts in U.S. oil stockpiles and potential changes in production strategy from OPEC+, continues to shape near-term oil price trends. Traders remain cautious as they await further clarity on demand recovery and policy direction.
