Asian Currencies Stay Rangebound as Middle East Tensions, Weak China GDP Weigh on Sentiment 
Brazil Weighs IP Curbs, Patent Suspensions After New U.S. Tariffs 
US Inflation Expected to Ease in June, but Fed Rate Hike Risks Persist Amid Middle East Tensions 
Port of Los Angeles Posts Record June Cargo Volume as Importers Rush Ahead of U.S. Tariffs 
Japan Core Inflation Seen Rising in June, Strengthening BOJ Rate Hike Outlook 
ECB's Kocher Says No Inflation Spillover Yet From Iran Conflict, Warns Risks Remain 
Oil Prices Climb as Trump Escalates Iran Pressure, Strait of Hormuz Risks Grow 
Gold Prices Slip as Oil Rally Fuels Inflation Fears, Strengthens Dollar 
Asian Currencies Hold Steady as Middle East Tensions Offset Weaker US Dollar 
UBS Boosts China Tech Bets, Adds Kuaishou and Meituan to Focus List 
Asian Stocks Slide as Nikkei Leads Losses on Tech Selloff and Rising U.S.-Iran Tensions 
Nikkei Plunges 5% as AI Stock Selloff Spreads Across Asia 
Malaysia Q2 Economy Grows 5.8%, Beating Forecasts on Strong Tech Exports and Domestic Demand 
Oil Prices Set for Weekly Surge as U.S.-Iran Conflict Fuels Supply Fears 
South Korea’s KOSPI Enters Bear Market Despite Remaining 2026’s Best-Performing Major Stock Index 
South Korea Raises Interest Rates to 2.75% as Inflation and Weak Won Drive Tightening 
U.S. stock index futures declined Monday evening following a sharp selloff on Wall Street, driven by renewed concerns over trade tariffs introduced by President Donald Trump. Despite an extension of the tariff deadline to August 1, markets were rattled as Trump unveiled new levies targeting key trade partners.
S&P 500 Futures slipped 0.2% to 6,265.25, Nasdaq 100 Futures edged down 0.1% to 22,860.50, and Dow Jones Futures dropped 0.2% to 44,571.0 by 19:16 ET. The losses reflect rising investor caution amid uncertainty about the economic fallout from the tariffs.
Trump issued tariff letters imposing a 25% duty on imports from South Korea, Japan, Malaysia, and Kazakhstan. Tariffs also included 30% on South Africa, 32% on Indonesia, 35% on Bangladesh, and 36% on Thailand. Analysts and the Federal Reserve warned that such tariffs could stoke inflation, adding pressure on American importers and potentially weighing on consumer prices.
The White House signaled openness to further trade negotiations. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent noted more trade deals may be announced soon. However, with more tariff letters expected this week, investor sentiment remained shaky.
On Wall Street, all major indexes declined. The S&P 500 fell 0.8% to 6,229.98, the Nasdaq Composite slid 0.9% to 20,412.52, and the Dow Jones dropped 0.9% to 44,406.36. Tesla stock plunged 6.8%, losing $60 billion in market cap after CEO Elon Musk launched a political party—raising concerns over leadership focus. The stock regained 0.6% in after-hours trading.
Investors now await Wednesday’s release of the Federal Reserve’s June meeting minutes for further clues on interest rate policy amid inflation risks tied to Trump’s trade agenda.
