Asian Stocks Rally as Cooling U.S. Inflation Boosts Fed Rate Cut Hopes 
US Inflation Expected to Ease in June, but Fed Rate Hike Risks Persist Amid Middle East Tensions 
Dollar Slides as Softer US Inflation Dims Fed Rate Hike Expectations 
Asian Stocks Slide as Chip Selloff Deepens Ahead of TSMC Earnings 
Oil Prices Rise as U.S. Strikes on Iran Raise Strait of Hormuz Supply Fears 
Goldman Sees Foreign Investors Driving India Stock Market Recovery 
Australia Consumer Sentiment Rises in July as Fuel Price Relief Lifts Confidence 
China Trade Surplus Hits $125.6 Billion as June Exports, Imports Smash Forecasts 
Port of Los Angeles Posts Record June Cargo Volume as Importers Rush Ahead of U.S. Tariffs 
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 
UBS Boosts China Tech Bets, Adds Kuaishou and Meituan to Focus List 
Asian Stocks Rise as Softer U.S. Inflation Boosts Sentiment Despite Middle East Tensions 
Gold Price Holds Near $4,000 as Middle East Tensions and Fed Rate Hike Bets Grow 
Oil Prices Surge as U.S.-Iran Conflict Escalates and Strait of Hormuz Risks Grow 
Gold Prices Slip as Oil Rally Fuels Inflation Fears, Strengthens Dollar 
U.S. Imposes 25% Tariff on Select Brazilian Imports After Section 301 Trade Investigation 
U.S. stock index futures inched higher on Wednesday evening, supported by blowout earnings and strong guidance from Micron Technology, although broader gains remained limited as investors stayed cautious ahead of key U.S. inflation data and a highly anticipated address by President Donald Trump. The modest rebound followed a negative Wall Street session, where technology stocks extended their recent pullback amid lingering concerns over elevated artificial intelligence valuations and mixed economic signals.
By 19:17 ET, S&P 500 Futures were up 0.1% at 6,787.50 points, while Nasdaq 100 Futures gained 0.3% to 24,969.25 points. Dow Jones Futures hovered near flat at 48,264.0 points. The futures market steadied after major indexes closed sharply lower earlier in the day, reflecting ongoing investor unease around economic growth and the sustainability of aggressive AI-related spending.
Micron Technology shares surged more than 7% in after-hours trading after the chipmaker delivered a strong earnings beat for its fiscal first quarter and issued upbeat guidance well above analyst expectations. The company forecast adjusted earnings per share of $8.42, plus or minus $0.20, for the current quarter, nearly double the consensus estimate of $4.49. Micron highlighted robust demand from the artificial intelligence sector, particularly as cloud and technology companies continue expanding data center capacity.
As a major supplier of high-bandwidth memory chips alongside Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, Micron has benefited from accelerating AI infrastructure investment, which has helped offset weaker demand from consumer electronics. Still, despite Micron’s strong performance, skepticism around stretched AI stock valuations continued to weigh on the broader tech sector, limiting upside in futures trading.
Elsewhere in after-hours action, Instacart shares dropped sharply following reports of a U.S. Federal Trade Commission probe into alleged AI-driven price discrimination. In contrast, Coinbase Global gained after announcing plans to integrate traditional stock trading and prediction market contracts into its platform, signaling diversification beyond cryptocurrency services.
Market participants now turn their focus to upcoming U.S. CPI inflation data, expected to show headline inflation rising to 3.1% year over year. Persistent inflation and a resilient labor market remain critical factors shaping Federal Reserve interest rate decisions, keeping investors cautious despite selective earnings-driven optimism.
