Markets

US stocks turned volatile late in the week as Brent crude climbed back toward $100 a barrel on Middle East tensions and investors grew nervous about heavy AI capital spending, with a wave of megacap earnings and a Federal Reserve meeting now in view.

Indian benchmark indices fell for a fifth straight session on July 24, with the Sensex closing near 76,060 and the Nifty below 23,800, as surging global crude oil prices and persistent foreign selling weighed on markets.

US stocks stabilised on Friday as Brent crude fell below $100 a barrel, easing inflation worries, with investors bracing for a packed week of Federal Reserve policy, second-quarter GDP and inflation data, and megacap tech earnings.

Most economists expect the Monetary Authority of Singapore to leave its exchange-rate-based policy unchanged at its July 27 review, with core inflation still running below the top of the official forecast range.

US stocks fell sharply on July 23 as crude prices jumped on renewed Middle East conflict and disappointing results from Alphabet and Tesla dragged the Nasdaq down more than 2%.

Indian benchmarks extended their losing streak to a fourth session on July 23, with the Sensex down 364 points and the Nifty below 23,900, as elevated crude prices and a weak rupee pressured sentiment.

US equities held near recent highs as a heavy week of second-quarter results produced sharp divergences, with Super Micro Computer surging on stronger profitability while GE Vernova and Reddit fell despite differing circumstances.

Japan's Nikkei 225 remained close to record highs on technology strength as investors positioned for the Bank of Japan's 30-31 July meeting, with board members signalling a continued path toward a neutral rate near 2%.

US stocks advanced on July 21, with the S&P 500 closing at a record 7,509.20 as upbeat second-quarter earnings and a rebound in semiconductor shares powered gains ahead of results from Alphabet and Tesla.

Japanese stocks held near record highs as Bank of Japan officials signalled further gradual interest-rate increases toward a neutral level around 2%, citing accelerating wholesale inflation and firms passing on higher costs.

South Korea's Kospi jumped 3.56% to 6,747.95 on July 21, recovering from a sharp semiconductor-driven selloff, as data showed exports surging in early July on booming AI chip demand and after the central bank raised rates to 2.75%.

US money-market funds are shifting into ultra-short holdings and reducing interest-rate risk as uncertainty grows over the Federal Reserve's next move, according to industry data.

The Japanese yen weakened toward 162.5 per dollar, hovering near its weakest in four decades, as investors saw little sign of decisive action from Tokyo and judged the Bank of Japan to be lagging on rate rises.

Crude oil prices spiked toward $80 a barrel as renewed fighting around the Strait of Hormuz and a reinstated blockade on Iran revived supply fears, lifting energy stocks and complicating the inflation outlook.

Japanese equities pushed to record highs in July, buoyed by optimism over easing Middle East tensions and a chip-led rally, after the Bank of Japan raised its policy rate to 1% in June and signalled more tightening ahead.

Volkswagen's shares have slid to their lowest level in years as the German carmaker prepares to report earnings on July 24, with investors seeking clarity on plant closures, job cuts and mounting Chinese competition.

Newly public SpaceX saw its shares fall further after it aborted a Starship test flight at the last second, adding to volatile trading in the months following its record-setting initial public offering.

The South Korean won has surged more than 4% in July, leading global currency gains, after the Bank of Korea raised interest rates for the first time since 2023 and large dollar inflows lifted the currency.

Dubai Islamic Bank raised $1 billion through an additional tier 1 sukuk that drew more than $2.3 billion in orders, pricing at a 6.25% profit rate in the largest such Gulf issuance in about two years.

US semiconductor shares extended a sharp decline, dragging the broader market lower, as investors questioned lofty AI valuations while oil topped $80 on renewed Middle East tension and Netflix slid on weak earnings.

India's benchmark indices traded broadly flat, with the Nifty holding above 24,000, as a weakening rupee, elevated oil prices and Middle East tensions kept investors cautious ahead of a busy corporate earnings season.

The Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange has removed daily price limits on exchange-traded funds, a move aimed at expanding investor choice and improving access to a wider range of products in the UAE market.

A persistently weak yen and elevated import costs are keeping pressure on the Bank of Japan to continue raising rates after June's hike to 1%, even as some forecasters warn the currency could weaken further toward 165 per dollar.

Major US banks kicked off second-quarter earnings season with robust investment-banking and trading revenue, but faced pressure on lending margins as the Fed's steady rates and cautious borrowers weighed on loan growth.

US equities advanced and short-term Treasury yields fell after softer-than-expected June inflation data sharply reduced the odds of a July Federal Reserve interest rate increase.

Japanese equities fell sharply on July 16 as semiconductor-related shares led a regional selloff, with the Nikkei down around 3% and the yen hovering near multi-decade lows against the dollar.

SK Hynix shares jumped more than 8% in Seoul, leading a broad Asian technology rally, after wild swings tied to its record US listing and worries about an overheated AI trade rattled markets earlier in the week.

The Bank of England's July Financial Stability Report cautions that stretched valuations in AI-linked equities could spark a sharp market correction, while frontier artificial intelligence is heightening cyber and operational risks for the financial system.

The Japanese yen remains near its weakest level against the US dollar since 1986, with a record intervention already spent, as analysts argue only a narrower US-Japan interest rate gap can durably reverse the currency's slide.

US equities fell after President Trump announced the reinstatement of a blockade on Iranian shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, lifting oil prices and reviving inflation concerns across global markets.

SK Hynix shares fell more than 15% in Seoul following the chipmaker's strong US listing debut, pulling South Korea's Kospi index down almost 9% as investors booked profits on AI memory chip stocks.

Volkswagen's supervisory board rejected management's restructuring plan by 12 votes to seven after labour opposition, and the company instead announced a strategy to halve its model lineup and cut production capacity.

The Japanese yen remains near its weakest level against the dollar since 1986, with a record intervention already spent and analysts arguing only a narrowing US-Japan rate gap can durably reverse the slide.

South Korea's SK Hynix raised about $26.5 billion in its Nasdaq debut, the biggest US listing ever by a foreign company, as investors piled into the AI memory-chip trade.

Volkswagen will cut its model lineup by up to half and reduce capacity to nine million vehicles a year, after a tense supervisory board meeting produced no agreement on reported plans for up to 100,000 job cuts.

The S&P 500 ended the week up more than 1%, helped by gains in Nvidia and Meta, as investors brace for second-quarter bank results, June inflation data and testimony from Fed Chair Kevin Warsh.

South Korean chipmaker SK Hynix opened at $170 on the Nasdaq, rising about 14% on its first day, after pricing American depositary receipts at $149 and raising $26.5 billion for factory expansion.

Volkswagen's labour representatives blocked management's sweeping restructuring proposal at a supervisory board showdown, though the carmaker unveiled a 2030 strategy to halve its model range and cut production capacity.

US stocks ended the week just shy of record highs, with the S&P 500 near its early-June peak, as investors braced for June inflation figures, the start of big-bank earnings and testimony from Fed Chair Kevin Warsh.

Japan's 10-year government bond yield eased to about 2.77% after Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama said the government would encourage domestic pension funds to hold more Japanese assets, pulling back from near three-decade highs.

US equities traded close to record highs, with the S&P 500 near 7,540, as semiconductor stocks led gains on fresh signs of heavy investment in artificial intelligence infrastructure.

The Japanese yen slid toward its weakest level in nearly 40 years against the dollar, keeping pressure on the Bank of Japan, which a former official said could push its policy rate above 2%.

US stocks fell and crude prices surged after President Trump declared the ceasefire with Iran 'over' and the two sides traded strikes, reviving fears of an energy-driven inflation shock.

Samsung Electronics estimated a record operating profit of about 89.4 trillion won for the second quarter, up nearly 19-fold on the AI-driven memory-chip recovery, though its shares fell as revenue narrowly missed forecasts.

Volkswagen's supervisory board was set to meet on July 9 to decide on a sweeping restructuring plan that reportedly includes up to 100,000 job cuts and possible German plant closures, setting up a clash with unions.

US stocks climbed to record highs after a softer-than-expected June employment report revived hopes of Federal Reserve rate cuts, though weakness in semiconductor shares weighed on the Nasdaq.

The Bank of England's latest Financial Stability Report warns that a rapid build-up of debt financing for artificial intelligence and stretched equity valuations could pose risks to the financial system if sentiment turns.

Japanese equities are hovering near record highs even as Bank of Japan officials signal further interest-rate increases toward a neutral level, while a weakening yen keeps pressure on the currency outlook.

South Korea's Kospi fell almost 5% as investors grew cautious about the sustainability of the semiconductor rally, shrugging off Samsung Electronics' record quarterly earnings after a brokerage flagged fading momentum.

US stocks began the week close to record highs, with the S&P 500 near 8,000, as investors braced for the start of second-quarter earnings, Federal Reserve minutes and continued rotation out of technology shares.

Japan's Nikkei 225 traded with little direction near 69,700 as investors took profits in high-priced technology and semiconductor stocks, rotating into industrial and consumer shares amid doubts over the AI rally.

Semiconductor shares fell sharply heading into the July 4 break, with the main chip index dropping nearly 7% in a single session as investors locked in gains after the sector roughly doubled during the second quarter.

US markets resume trading on July 6 following the Independence Day break, with investors turning to fresh services-sector data, the trade balance and minutes from the Federal Reserve's June meeting.

South Korea's Kospi plunged nearly 8% on a semiconductor selloff led by Samsung and SK Hynix, then rebounded almost 6% the next session, highlighting how concentrated the market has become in two chip giants.

Volkswagen faces a pivotal supervisory board meeting on July 9 amid reports it may close four German plants and cut up to 100,000 jobs, a plan strongly opposed by unions and the German government.

Weaker-than-expected US employment data reduced fears of further rate hikes, sending stocks higher, pushing the dollar and Treasury yields lower and lifting gold, even as a global semiconductor selloff weighed on technology shares.

South Korea's Kospi swung violently at the start of July, plunging nearly 8% on an AI-driven chip selloff before rebounding almost 6%, while June inflation accelerated to 3.2%, the highest since late 2023.

Germany's DAX climbed to a record as European markets rallied on softer US jobs data, with Bayer surging almost 9% after steps to reduce its Roundup litigation risk and investors rotating into healthcare, financials and defence.

South Korea's Kospi index surged about 5% to a record high on Friday, recovering from a sharp chip-led selloff earlier in the week, as softer US jobs data eased fears of higher interest rates.

European shares climbed to a record close, with Germany's DAX up more than 2%, as softer US jobs data eased rate worries and investors rotated into healthcare, financials and defence stocks.

Australia's S&P/ASX 200 climbed about 1.4% as a global relief rally, sparked by softer US jobs data and easing rate-hike fears, lifted shares across the Asia-Pacific region.

US equities began the second half of 2026 close to record highs after a strong quarter, with gains broadening beyond big technology names as resilient earnings and consumer spending support the market.

South Korea's exports surged 70.9% in June to a record $102.25 billion, surpassing $100 billion for the first time, driven by an artificial intelligence investment boom that nearly tripled semiconductor shipments.

Volkswagen is heading into a high-stakes supervisory board meeting on July 9 amid reports it is weighing closing four German factories and cutting as many as 100,000 jobs, a plan fiercely opposed by unions and the government.

The global insurance sector recorded $29.6 billion in announced deal value across 191 disclosed transactions in the six months to May 31, 2026, according to PwC, with megadeals driving the bulk of the value. Landmark transactions including the $22 billion Corebridge-Equitable merger and DB Insurance's $1.65 billion Fortegra acquisition are reshaping the competitive landscape, even as uncertainty over AI's impact on brokerage models tempers valuations.

Global oil prices rose at the end of June 2026 after renewed military strikes between the US and Iran over the weekend cast doubt on the fragile ceasefire and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint for roughly one-fifth of the world's oil. Brent crude climbed to around $72.55 a barrel, having earlier unwound most of its war premium after a June 17 memorandum of understanding. The volatility has direct implications for inflation, central bank policy, and marine and energy insurers.

Alphabet, the parent company of Google, joined the Dow Jones Industrial Average in late June 2026, with shares jumping 4% on the news, while SpaceX became one of the fastest-ever additions to the Nasdaq-100 index less than a month after its blockbuster public debut. The index changes carry significant implications for the trillions of dollars in passive investment funds that track these benchmarks, affecting retirement accounts and institutional portfolios worldwide.

US stocks ended the week of June 26 mixed as a technology sell-off dragged the Nasdaq Composite to its fifth consecutive losing session, falling 4.6% on the week. The S&P 500 closed at 7,354.02 and slid nearly 2% for the week, while the Dow outperformed with a 0.6% weekly gain. A reported delay to OpenAI's IPO and questions over AI infrastructure spending fueled investor rotation out of technology and into defensive sectors.

Global insurers' managed assets expanded 25% to $4.5 trillion in 2024, with private placements now accounting for 21.1% of total insurance assets under management, according to Deloitte's 2026 global insurance outlook. The shift toward private credit and alternative assets — driven by the search for yield — is reshaping the industry even as regulators warn about liquidity and oversight gaps in the rapidly growing sector.

Global oil prices fell sharply and equity markets rallied after the United States and Iran signed a framework agreement to end their war, with Iran agreeing to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and the US lifting its naval blockade. Brent crude has dropped roughly 20% from its 2026 peak — when prices briefly topped $120 — as investors grow optimistic about a lasting ceasefire, though analysts caution that security concerns and infrastructure damage will keep prices elevated near $90-100 in the near term.

Global financial markets rallied in mid-June as news of a US-Iran peace deal eased oil prices and calmed the inflation fears that had dominated 2026. The de-escalation lowered Treasury yields and mortgage rates and prompted analysts to scale back expectations of further central bank rate hikes, though caution remains as the durability of the agreement is tested.

Stock markets surged worldwide and oil prices fell sharply after the United States and Iran reached a tentative deal to extend their ceasefire and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. The S&P 500 rose 1.7%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed to a record, and Brent crude fell back toward $83 per barrel — well below the $100-plus seen during the conflict — raising hopes of relief from war-driven inflation pressures.

Global oil prices have tumbled roughly 20% from their 2026 highs as markets grow more optimistic about a durable US-Iran ceasefire that would unlock shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. The de-escalation has eased the energy-driven inflation pressures that pushed central banks worldwide toward a more hawkish stance, though analysts caution that security concerns and crude loadings inside the Gulf remain fragile.

President Trump announced on June 14, 2026 that the US and Iran reached a framework agreement to end the more than 100-day war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, with a formal signing set for June 19. Markets rallied sharply on the news: US crude futures settled almost 5% lower, the S&P 500 rose 1.65%, the Nasdaq jumped 3.07%, and the Dow closed at a record high, while Japan's Nikkei surged 5.5% and South Korea's Kospi rose as much as 5.7%. Oil nonetheless remains roughly 40% above where it began the year.

Following the US-Iran framework agreement, oil-storage facilities throughout the Gulf remain well-stocked and ready to offer immediate relief to markets, while thousands of engineers and technicians are already working to restore production and export infrastructure to pre-war levels, according to the Atlantic Council. However, energy analysts caution that a geopolitical risk premium will persist given deep mistrust among the parties and the significant drawdown of commercial and strategic inventories used to offset wartime supply losses.

Travel and leisure stocks were among the biggest winners in the market rally that followed the US-Iran peace framework, with Delta Air Lines, American Express, and Royal Caribbean Cruises leading gains on June 15. The surge reflects investor expectations that an end to the conflict, falling oil and jet fuel prices, and easing geopolitical uncertainty will revive global travel demand and reduce airline operating costs. The rally has direct implications for the travel insurance market, which had seen surging adoption during the conflict.

A worldwide risk-on rally swept markets on Monday after the United States and Iran confirmed an agreement on Sunday, June 14, to end nearly four months of war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Brent crude tumbled toward a three-month low below $84 a barrel, while Japan's Nikkei 225 surged 5.5%, South Korea's Kospi jumped as much as 5.7%, and European equities pushed to record highs led by banks and travel stocks. Bonds rallied, the dollar slipped to a two-week low, and gold and Bitcoin posted strong gains as investors unwound the geopolitical risk premium that had dominated trading since February.

President Trump said a deal to end the US-Iran war would be signed Sunday, June 14, sending global markets into a relief rally and pushing oil sharply lower. Brent crude fell about 3.3% to roughly $87 a barrel and US WTI dropped to about $85, with prices down nearly 9% over the month, though still well above the roughly $70 level seen before the war began in late February. Iran's foreign ministry cautioned the agreement still required government approval, leaving markets optimistic but watchful.

Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 stock index surged to an all-time high in mid-June 2026, rising more than 3% in morning trading after closing at a record peak, as hopes for an end to the US-Iran war and a falling oil price boosted sentiment across Asian markets. The rally comes just days before the Bank of Japan is widely expected to raise interest rates to 1% on June 16 — a combination of improving geopolitical sentiment and confidence in Japan's monetary normalisation that has powered Japanese equities to historic levels.

US stocks traded mixed and oil prices fell on June 12, 2026 as Wall Street reacted to growing optimism over a tentative US-Iran peace deal that could lift oil sanctions and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. President Trump said he canceled planned strikes overnight, citing a 'very strong memorandum of understanding,' with a possible signing in Switzerland as soon as Sunday. Crude fell about 2% to near $85 per barrel, while SpaceX completed the largest IPO on record, raising $75 billion and closing up more than 19% on its debut.

The global catastrophe bond (cat bond) and insurance-linked securities (ILS) market is on track for its second-largest first-half issuance on record in 2026, driven by sustained demand for property catastrophe capacity, growing investor appetite for insurance risk, and favourable conditions at the June 1 mid-year reinsurance renewals. Over $3.2 billion in Florida-focused cat bonds alone were issued for 12 sponsors in the first five months of 2026, including three first-time cat bond issuers.