Japan Signals Readiness to Intervene as USD/JPY Nears 161 Amid Yen Weakness 
Canada, British Columbia Launch $5 Billion Infrastructure Partnership to Boost Housing, Transit, and Healthcare 
US Stock Futures Slip After Wall Street Rally Fueled by US-Iran Deal and Chipmaker Surge 
Australia Eases Capital Gains Tax Reforms to Support Small Businesses and Startups 
Oil Prices Drop as U.S.-Iran Peace Deal Eases Supply Concerns 
Europe EV Demand Surges as Fuel Prices Rise Amid Iran Conflict 
Canada Imposes 10% Tariff on Canned Vegetable Imports to Protect Domestic Industry 
Japan Inflation Stays Below BOJ Target Despite Rate Hike and Rising Energy Cost Risks 
US Stock Futures Jump on Reports of Preliminary US-Iran Peace Deal Despite Fed’s Hawkish Outlook 
Oil Prices Slide as U.S.-Iran Deal and Hormuz Reopening Ease Supply Concerns 
BOJ Signals More Rate Hikes as Inflation Risks Rise Amid Energy Price Pressures 
Asian Stocks Surge as Oil Prices Fall and Strong US Dollar Weighs on Markets 
China’s AI Manufacturing Boom Masks Weak Consumer Economy, Citi Says 
Trump Says No Hormuz Strait Tolls During 60-Day Iran Ceasefire 
Dollar Surges After Fed Holds Rates Steady, Signals Potential Tightening Ahead 
German Industry Employment Falls to Lowest Level in a Decade 
Asian Currencies Stabilize as Dollar Holds Near Two-Month High After Fed Hawkish Signal 
U.S. stock index futures edged higher Wednesday evening, driven by tech sector gains following Alphabet Inc.’s strong quarterly results and President Donald Trump’s announcement of new initiatives to boost the artificial intelligence industry.
Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL) jumped 1.8% in after-hours trading after reporting second-quarter earnings per share of $2.31, beating Wall Street estimates of $2.18. The company raised its 2025 capital spending outlook to $85 billion, citing increased demand for cloud services and rapid AI integration into its core search platform, which helped lift advertising revenue by 10%.
Trump also fueled optimism with the White House’s first AI summit, unveiling a 90-part plan and signing three executive orders to strengthen U.S. leadership in AI. The measures aim to streamline federal regulations, expand AI technology exports, and prevent the use of politically biased AI. The president praised chipmakers Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA) and AMD (NASDAQ:AMD) as central to the country’s AI ambitions.
Futures tracked Wall Street’s earlier rally, spurred by Trump’s trade deal with Japan. The agreement imposes a 15% tariff while securing $550 billion in Japanese investment and expanded U.S. agricultural and auto exports. Hopes are rising for additional trade agreements before Trump’s proposed global tariffs of 15%-50% take effect on August 1.
As of 20:09 ET (00:09 GMT), S&P 500 Futures gained 0.1% to 6,402.25, Nasdaq 100 Futures rose 0.3% to 23,387.50, while Dow Jones Futures slipped 0.3% to 45,097.00. The S&P 500 closed earlier at a record 6,358.97. Attention now shifts to next week’s Federal Reserve meeting, where rates are expected to remain unchanged.
