Dollar Slides as Softer US Inflation Dims Fed Rate Hike Expectations 
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 
Gold Prices Slip as Oil Rally Fuels Inflation Fears, Strengthens Dollar 
South Korea’s KOSPI Enters Bear Market Despite Remaining 2026’s Best-Performing Major Stock Index 
Asian Currencies Stay Rangebound as Middle East Tensions, Weak China GDP Weigh on Sentiment 
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 
Gold Price Holds Near Record High as Cooling U.S. Inflation Offsets Fed Caution 
US Stock Futures Hold Steady as Soft Inflation Data Eases Fed Rate Hike Fears 
Japanese Yen Holds Steady as Intervention Hopes Grow Ahead of U.S. CPI Data 
US Inflation Expected to Ease in June, but Fed Rate Hike Risks Persist Amid Middle East Tensions 
Asian Stocks Slide as Oil Surge, U.S.-Iran Tensions and Fed Rate Bets Weigh on Markets 
China Home Prices Fall Again in June Despite Slower Pace of Decline 
China Q2 2026 GDP Misses Forecast as Weak Domestic Demand Offsets Export Strength 
Oil Prices Surge as U.S.-Iran Conflict Escalates and Strait of Hormuz Risks Grow 
The Japanese yen hovered near a record low against the euro and a nine-month trough versus the U.S. dollar on Thursday after Japan’s new Prime Minister, Sanae Takaichi, urged the Bank of Japan (BOJ) to move cautiously on raising interest rates. The yen traded at 179.32 per euro after hitting an all-time low of 179.47 overnight and stayed steady at 154.82 per dollar following its dip to 155.05, the weakest level since February.
Takaichi emphasized her administration’s preference for maintaining low borrowing costs and called for close coordination with the BOJ, asking Governor Kazuo Ueda to provide regular updates to the government’s Council on Economic and Fiscal Policy. Meanwhile, Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama issued a fresh warning on yen weakness as it approached the 155 mark, citing “one-sided and rapid movements” in the foreign exchange market.
Economists say the yen’s persistent decline is raising concerns in Tokyo. Norihiro Yamaguchi of Oxford Economics noted that the exchange rate has become “crucial to the survival of the administration,” suggesting the government may eventually accept BOJ rate hikes to stabilize the currency. Markets now price in a 24% chance of a 0.25% rate increase in December, climbing to 46% by January.
In contrast, the Australian dollar strengthened to a two-week high of $0.6559 after official data showed a sharper-than-expected drop in unemployment, easing pressure on the Reserve Bank of Australia to cut rates. Employment surged in October, led by full-time hiring, lowering the jobless rate and signaling resilience in the labor market. A top RBA official said there’s growing debate over whether the current 3.6% cash rate is sufficiently restrictive to tame inflation.
A weak yen and solid Australian data have fueled volatility across currency markets, with traders watching closely as the U.S. government shutdown nears its end—potentially unleashing a flood of delayed economic reports.
