U.S. Imposes 25% Tariff on Select Brazilian Imports After Section 301 Trade Investigation 
Oil Prices Rise as U.S. Strikes on Iran Raise Strait of Hormuz Supply Fears 
Oil Prices Climb as Trump Escalates Iran Pressure, Strait of Hormuz Risks Grow 
Dollar Holds Steady Ahead of U.S. CPI as Oil Surge, Middle East Tensions Keep Markets on Edge 
China Q2 2026 GDP Misses Forecast as Weak Domestic Demand Offsets Export Strength 
Dollar Slides as Softer US Inflation Dims Fed Rate Hike Expectations 
South Korea Raises Interest Rates to 2.75% as Inflation and Weak Won Drive Tightening 
US Inflation Expected to Ease in June, but Fed Rate Hike Risks Persist Amid Middle East Tensions 
Australia Consumer Sentiment Rises in July as Fuel Price Relief Lifts Confidence 
Oil Prices Surge as U.S.-Iran Conflict Escalates and Strait of Hormuz Risks Grow 
IEA Warns China Rare Earth Export Curbs Could Threaten $6.5 Trillion in Global Production 
China Trade Surplus Hits $125.6 Billion as June Exports, Imports Smash Forecasts 
Gold Price Holds Near Record High as Cooling U.S. Inflation Offsets Fed Caution 
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 Price Holds Near $4,000 as Middle East Tensions and Fed Rate Hike Bets Grow 
Wall Street futures stabilized Sunday evening after slipping earlier in the session, with traders remaining cautious amid fading expectations for a Federal Reserve rate cut in December. Markets continued to reassess their outlook for U.S. monetary policy as uncertainty surrounding the economy and upcoming earnings kept risk appetite in check.
S&P 500 futures ticked up 0.2% to 6,768.25, while Nasdaq 100 futures gained 0.3% to 25,177. Dow Jones futures were nearly unchanged at 47,215. Investors have been grappling with a sharp pullback across major indexes over the past two weeks as confidence in a December rate cut weakened considerably.
According to the CME FedWatch tool, markets now see only a 39.8% chance of a 25-basis-point cut at the Fed’s December 10–11 meeting, down from nearly 62% a week prior. A lengthy government shutdown delayed critical economic data releases, leaving policymakers potentially without October inflation and employment figures. With the Fed potentially heading into its next meeting with limited data, traders increasingly expect interest rates to remain unchanged. Investors are now looking ahead to the release of the Fed’s October meeting minutes for additional clues.
The Nasdaq Composite has fallen about 3.6% so far in November, dragged down by a sharp sell-off in tech stocks. The S&P 500 slipped 1.6%, while the Dow held firmer with a 0.9% decline and even notched a record high last week. A wave of profit-taking in artificial intelligence–linked shares has intensified concerns about overstretched valuations.
All eyes this week are on Nvidia’s upcoming fiscal third-quarter earnings. With a massive $5 trillion valuation, the company faces pressure to deliver results that justify its meteoric rise. Recent filings showed billionaire Peter Thiel fully exiting his Nvidia position, echoing a similar move from SoftBank, fueling questions about long-term AI sustainability and circular investments involving firms like OpenAI.
Beyond tech, attention will also turn to major retailers including Target, Walmart, Home Depot, Lowe’s, and TJX Companies, whose earnings will offer fresh insight into U.S. consumer health ahead of the holiday season.
