South Korea Raises Interest Rates to 2.75% as Inflation and Weak Won Drive Tightening 
Oil Prices Set for Weekly Surge as U.S.-Iran Conflict Fuels Supply Fears 
Japan Core Inflation Seen Rising in June, Strengthening BOJ Rate Hike Outlook 
Asian Stocks Rally as Cooling U.S. Inflation Boosts Fed Rate Cut Hopes 
Asian Currencies Hold Steady as Middle East Tensions Offset Weaker US Dollar 
Port of Los Angeles Posts Record June Cargo Volume as Importers Rush Ahead of U.S. Tariffs 
US Inflation Expected to Ease in June, but Fed Rate Hike Risks Persist Amid Middle East Tensions 
Nikkei Plunges 5% as AI Stock Selloff Spreads Across Asia 
Dollar Slides as Softer US Inflation Dims Fed Rate Hike Expectations 
ECB's Kocher Says No Inflation Spillover Yet From Iran Conflict, Warns Risks Remain 
Gold Prices Head for Biggest Weekly Loss Since June as Fed Rate Outlook Weighs 
UBS Boosts China Tech Bets, Adds Kuaishou and Meituan to Focus List 
Gold Price Holds Near Record High as Cooling U.S. Inflation Offsets Fed Caution 
Asian Currencies Stay Rangebound as Middle East Tensions, Weak China GDP Weigh on Sentiment 
Malaysia Q2 Economy Grows 5.8%, Beating Forecasts on Strong Tech Exports and Domestic Demand 
Brazil Weighs IP Curbs, Patent Suspensions After New U.S. Tariffs 
The S&P 500 closed higher Tuesday as investors balanced strong earnings with rising US-China trade tensions. The Dow gained 142 points (0.3%), the S&P 500 climbed 0.72%, and the Nasdaq surged 262 points (1.4%).
President Trump postponed 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico but imposed a 10% duty on Chinese goods, prompting Beijing to retaliate. China imposed tariffs on US coal, LNG, crude oil, and automobiles while restricting rare earth exports, escalating trade war concerns. Beijing also blacklisted PVH Corp (NYSE:PVH) and Illumina (NASDAQ:ILMN) and launched an antitrust probe into Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOG).
Wall Street remains cautious about Fed rate cuts, with Morgan Stanley now predicting only one in 2025. Meanwhile, earnings reports drove market movements. PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP) dropped 4.5% on weak revenue growth, while Spotify (NYSE:SPOT) soared 13.3% on strong Q4 results. Palantir (NASDAQ:PLTR) surged 24% on AI-driven revenue forecasts. Estee Lauder (NYSE:EL) fell 16% due to weak Asian retail sales, and Merck (NYSE:MRK) slipped 9% after pausing Gardasil shipments to China.
All eyes are on Alphabet’s post-market earnings, with investors eager for AI spending updates amid competition from China's DeepSeek.
Oil prices dipped as trade tensions threatened economic growth. WTI crude fell 0.49% to $72.80 per barrel. Despite global concerns, OPEC+ upheld production plans, keeping output cuts in place until April.
Markets remain volatile as earnings and economic policies shape investor sentiment.
