Asian Currencies Hold Steady as Middle East Tensions Offset Weaker US Dollar 
Dollar Slides as Softer US Inflation Dims Fed Rate Hike Expectations 
Goldman Sees Foreign Investors Driving India Stock Market Recovery 
ECB's Kocher Says No Inflation Spillover Yet From Iran Conflict, Warns Risks Remain 
Australian Business Conditions Hold Steady as Easing Cost Pressures Face New Oil Price Risks 
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 
Gold Price Holds Near $4,000 as Middle East Tensions and Fed Rate Hike Bets Grow 
South Korea’s KOSPI Enters Bear Market Despite Remaining 2026’s Best-Performing Major Stock Index 
Japanese Yen Holds Steady as Intervention Hopes Grow Ahead of U.S. CPI Data 
Port of Los Angeles Posts Record June Cargo Volume as Importers Rush Ahead of U.S. Tariffs 
Dollar Holds Steady Ahead of U.S. CPI as Oil Surge, Middle East Tensions Keep Markets on Edge 
U.S. Imposes 25% Tariff on Select Brazilian Imports After Section 301 Trade Investigation 
IEA Warns China Rare Earth Export Curbs Could Threaten $6.5 Trillion in Global Production 
UBS Boosts China Tech Bets, Adds Kuaishou and Meituan to Focus List 
Asian Stocks Rally as Cooling U.S. Inflation Boosts Fed Rate Cut Hopes 
Gold Prices Slip as Oil Rally Fuels Inflation Fears, Strengthens Dollar 
U.S. stock index futures traded flat Tuesday evening following a downbeat Wall Street session as investors reassessed the artificial intelligence (AI) rally and monitored ongoing political gridlock in Washington. Markets remained tense amid a persistent government shutdown, with Congress making little headway toward approving a spending bill despite President Donald Trump’s mediation efforts.
As of 19:20 ET (23:20 GMT), S&P 500 Futures hovered at 6,762.50 points, Nasdaq 100 Futures were unchanged at 25,047.0, and Dow Jones Futures steadied at 46,852.0.
Tuesday’s losses came largely from weakness in technology and AI-linked stocks. Oracle Corporation (NYSE:ORCL) dropped 2.4% during the session and another 0.5% after hours following a report from The Information suggesting thin margins in its chip rental business. The revelation raised doubts about Oracle’s AI expansion strategy. The news triggered a broader tech selloff, with NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ:NVDA) slipping 0.3% and Alphabet Inc (NASDAQ:GOOGL) down 1.8%. However, Nvidia later steadied after Bloomberg reported it plans to invest up to $2 billion in Elon Musk’s xAI, a move expected to deepen its dominance in the AI chip market.
Tesla Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA) also weighed on sentiment, plunging nearly 5% after unveiling new low-cost versions of its Model 3 and Model Y vehicles. Analysts viewed the pricing as insufficient to significantly revive slowing EV sales.
Despite the pullback, analysts note tech stocks are still supported by optimism surrounding AI innovation, following a strong rally that pushed Wall Street to record highs last week.
Looking ahead, attention turns to key Federal Reserve speeches and the release of September meeting minutes. Dallas Fed President Lorie Logan speaks Wednesday, followed by Fed Chair Jerome Powell on Thursday. Markets expect a 25-basis-point rate cut in October, driven by signs of a cooling labor market, though economic clarity remains limited as the shutdown delays critical data releases.
