Finland Raises 2026 Growth Forecast as Exports and Investment Surge 
China Home Prices Fall Again as Property Slump Drags on Growth 
Oil Prices Surge as Houthi Attacks Deepen Hormuz Supply Fears 
UK Economy Grows 0.4% in July, Beating Forecasts 
Goldman Sachs Forecasts Fed Rate Hike as Inflation Risks Rise 
Gold Prices Steady as Oil Disruptions Boost Fed Rate Hike Bets 
Hormuz Vessel Traffic Drops to Single Digits 
Dollar Rises as Fed Hike Bets Weigh on Asian Currencies 
Gold Prices Fall as Hot U.S. Inflation Boosts Fed Rate Hike Bets 
Oil Prices Surge as Houthi Attacks Raise Saudi Supply Fears 
Asian Stocks Fall as AI Fears and Oil Surge Hit Markets 
Saudi Oil Exports Face 4% Global Supply Threat as Pipeline Remains Shut 
BOJ Set to Raise Rates to 1.25% as Inflation Risks Build 
US Treasury Yields Near 5% as Oil Fuels Inflation Fears 
China Industrial Output Beats Forecasts as Exports Support Growth 
UK Businesses Urge Government to Cut Electricity Levies 
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U.S. stock futures moved lower Tuesday as investors prepared for the Federal Reserve’s two-day policy meeting while escalating Middle East tensions pushed oil prices above $105 a barrel and lifted Treasury yields.
Dow futures dropped 266 points, or 0.5%, by 03:20 ET, while S&P 500 futures declined 0.4% and Nasdaq 100 futures fell 0.3%. Wall Street also closed lower Monday as renewed concerns over artificial intelligence weighed heavily on technology shares, sending the Philadelphia semiconductor index to its steepest decline since July.
Bond markets remained under pressure as higher energy costs fueled inflation concerns. The benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury yield climbed above 5% for the first time since 2023.
Investors are now focused on Wednesday’s Federal Reserve decision. Markets assign roughly a 92% probability to a 25-basis-point rate increase, which would bring the federal funds target range to 3.75%-4%, according to CME FedWatch. Persistent inflation, resilient employment and surging energy prices have strengthened expectations for tighter monetary policy.
Brent crude extended its rally as Middle East supply risks intensified. Fresh Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia followed last week’s strikes that knocked the kingdom’s east-west oil pipeline offline. Continued disruption around the Strait of Hormuz and threats to shipping through the Bab el-Mandeb have raised concerns that another 4%-5% of global oil supplies could be affected.
AI risks also remained in focus after former Google DeepMind research engineer Bilal Chughtai warned that rapidly advancing artificial intelligence could pose severe dangers to humanity. His comments followed similar concerns from former Anthropic researcher Jacob Coxon and Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei.
Meanwhile, China reported stronger-than-expected industrial production. Output increased 5.2% year-over-year in August, beating forecasts for 4.8% growth and accelerating from July’s 4.5%. Strong overseas demand for electronics components, batteries and networking equipment supported production.
However, China’s broader economy remained under pressure, with fixed-asset investment falling 7.2% through August, slightly worse than the expected 7% decline.
