Asian Stocks Rally as Cooling U.S. Inflation Boosts Fed Rate Cut Hopes 
China Q2 2026 GDP Misses Forecast as Weak Domestic Demand Offsets Export Strength 
Gold Price Holds Near Record High as Cooling U.S. Inflation Offsets Fed Caution 
Asian Stocks Rise as Softer U.S. Inflation Boosts Sentiment Despite Middle East Tensions 
South Korea’s KOSPI Enters Bear Market Despite Remaining 2026’s Best-Performing Major Stock Index 
Malaysia Q2 Economy Grows 5.8%, Beating Forecasts on Strong Tech Exports and Domestic Demand 
Gold Prices Head for Biggest Weekly Loss Since June as Fed Rate Outlook Weighs 
Dollar Slides as Softer US Inflation Dims Fed Rate Hike Expectations 
U.S. Imposes 25% Tariff on Select Brazilian Imports After Section 301 Trade Investigation 
Asian Currencies Hold Steady as Middle East Tensions Offset Weaker US Dollar 
US Stock Futures Fall as Netflix Outlook, Chip Selloff and Iran Tensions Weigh on Markets 
US Stock Futures Hold Steady as Soft Inflation Data Eases Fed Rate Hike Fears 
AI Chip Stocks Face Valuation Pressure as Investors Shift Toward Big Tech and Software 
US Inflation Expected to Ease in June, but Fed Rate Hike Risks Persist Amid Middle East Tensions 
South Korea Raises Interest Rates to 2.75% as Inflation and Weak Won Drive Tightening 
UBS Boosts China Tech Bets, Adds Kuaishou and Meituan to Focus List 
U.S. stocks closed lower on Friday as rising geopolitical tensions between Iran and Israel weighed heavily on investor sentiment. The S&P 500 lost 0.22% to 5,967.84, while the Nasdaq Composite dropped 0.51% to 19,447.41. The Dow Jones Industrial Average edged up 0.08%, closing at 42,206.82.
Markets were jittery heading into the weekend as the U.S. considers whether to intervene in the escalating conflict. President Donald Trump is expected to decide within two weeks, adding pressure on Iran to return to nuclear negotiations. Tehran has said it will not resume talks while under Israeli attack. Israel, meanwhile, claims to have hit dozens of military targets to deter Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
Investor caution was reflected in trading volumes, which surged to 20.91 billion shares, significantly above the 20-day average. The session also saw heightened volatility due to a quarterly "triple-witching" event—when stock options, index options, and futures contracts expire simultaneously.
Tech megacaps like Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA) led losses, contributing to the Nasdaq’s weekly dip. For the week, the S&P 500 fell 0.2%, the Nasdaq gained 0.2%, and the Dow remained mostly flat.
Investors also digested mixed signals from Federal Reserve officials. While Fed Chair Jerome Powell warned of potential inflation spikes from Trump’s tariffs, Governor Christopher Waller suggested a rate cut could come as early as the next meeting. Richmond Fed President Tom Barkin, however, remained cautious.
On the corporate front, Kroger (NYSE:KR) soared 9.8% after raising its annual sales forecast. In contrast, Accenture (NYSE:ACN) slid 6.9% on weak third-quarter bookings.
Market breadth was negative, with declining stocks outnumbering gainers on both the NYSE and Nasdaq, reflecting broad investor unease.
