US and Iranian forces continued to exchange strikes, reviving fears of a wider conflict and keeping energy and risk markets on edge.
Beijing is pressing its lead in industrial AI, planning to produce more than 100,000 humanoid robots this year and reportedly allowing top Chinese AI firms limited access to Nvidia H200 chips — a sign of state‑backed efforts to scale robotics and advanced compute at pace.
Japan’s bond market kept traders uneasy as 10‑year yields climbed to multi‑decade highs, testing policy thresholds and stoking volatility across global fixed income.
The IMF trimmed its global growth forecast to about 3% for 2026 but raised projections for Brazil and China, reflecting divergent regional momentum.
Policy shifts and corporate shocks followed: the European Commission will unveil an electrification plan targeting 2040 to curb oil and gas demand, while German exports surprised on the upside, rising 0.9% in May versus expectations for a decline. AstraZeneca shares plunged almost 10% after its heart‑drug trial failed, hitting pharmaceuticals sentiment.
Markets were mixed on the session. European and Japanese equities rose roughly 0.5% on average, mainland Chinese stocks jumped about 2.5% and Hong Kong pared gains to fall around 0.6% after a strong prior session. US futures looked set to open broadly flat and Brent crude traded up about 1% near $79 a barrel as investors monitored geopolitical and policy developments.
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