Gold Price Holds Near $4,000 as Middle East Tensions and Fed Rate Hike Bets Grow 
UBS Boosts China Tech Bets, Adds Kuaishou and Meituan to Focus List 
China Home Prices Fall Again in June Despite Slower Pace of Decline 
US Stock Futures Hold Steady as Soft Inflation Data Eases Fed Rate Hike Fears 
Australian Business Conditions Hold Steady as Easing Cost Pressures Face New Oil Price Risks 
Oil Prices Rise as U.S. Strikes on Iran Raise Strait of Hormuz Supply Fears 
South Korea’s KOSPI Enters Bear Market Despite Remaining 2026’s Best-Performing Major Stock Index 
Asian Stocks Rise as Softer U.S. Inflation Boosts Sentiment Despite Middle East Tensions 
Asian Currencies Stay Rangebound as Middle East Tensions, Weak China GDP Weigh on Sentiment 
Port of Los Angeles Posts Record June Cargo Volume as Importers Rush Ahead of U.S. Tariffs 
Dollar Slides as Softer US Inflation Dims Fed Rate Hike Expectations 
IEA Warns China Rare Earth Export Curbs Could Threaten $6.5 Trillion in Global Production 
Asian Stocks Rally as Cooling U.S. Inflation Boosts Fed Rate Cut Hopes 
Australia Consumer Sentiment Rises in July as Fuel Price Relief Lifts Confidence 
Japanese Yen Holds Steady as Intervention Hopes Grow Ahead of U.S. CPI Data 
Oil Prices Surge as U.S.-Iran Conflict Escalates and Strait of Hormuz Risks Grow 
Dollar Holds Steady Ahead of U.S. CPI as Oil Surge, Middle East Tensions Keep Markets on Edge 
U.S. stock futures edged lower on Tuesday evening following a mixed Wall Street session, where strong corporate earnings boosted the Dow Jones Industrial Average while weakness in technology shares dragged down the Nasdaq. By 20:28 ET (00:28 GMT), S&P 500 Futures were down 0.1% to 6,768.50, Nasdaq 100 Futures slipped 0.2% to 25,232.75, and Dow Jones Futures dipped 0.1% to 47,112.0 points.
During Tuesday’s regular session, the Dow rose 0.5%, touching a record high as upbeat quarterly results from General Motors (NYSE:GM), 3M (NYSE:MMM), and GE Aerospace (NYSE:GE) fueled optimism. The S&P 500 ended flat, while the Nasdaq Composite declined 0.2% amid pressure on tech and growth stocks. GM shares surged nearly 15% after raising its full-year outlook, citing resilient consumer demand. GE Aerospace advanced on stronger-than-expected results and an upgraded forecast, and 3M gained about 8% after improving its profit guidance. Meanwhile, Coca-Cola (NYSE:KO) climbed over 4% on solid third-quarter demand and revenue growth.
Investors are now looking ahead to Friday’s U.S. Consumer Price Index (CPI) data, which could influence expectations for a potential Federal Reserve interest rate cut in October. However, the ongoing partial federal government shutdown, now in its fourth week, is disrupting key economic data releases and adding uncertainty to inflation forecasts.
In after-hours trading, Netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX) tumbled more than 6% following disappointing earnings and a tax dispute in Brazil, while Mattel (NASDAQ:MAT) slid 5% after missing estimates due to weak North American sales. Market attention now shifts to major upcoming reports from Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) on Wednesday, followed by Intel (NASDAQ:INTC), Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN), and other corporate giants later in the week.
