July 3, 2026

US employers added only 57,000 jobs in June, well below forecasts, while the unemployment rate dipped to 4.2% and prior months were revised down, prompting markets to ease bets on a near-term Federal Reserve rate hike.

New orders for US manufactured goods declined about 1.3% in May, a smaller drop than feared, driven mainly by weaker demand for transportation equipment and aircraft as the industrial sector navigates higher costs.

Britain's Financial Conduct Authority has told pension providers they must do more to deliver good outcomes for customers holding older pensions and fund savings, warning that some savers may not be getting fair value.

The Bank of England and the Financial Conduct Authority have detailed how they will jointly regulate issuers of systemic stablecoins, part of a two-part UK regime designed to support innovation while protecting financial stability.

Life Insurance Corporation of India is engaging with the Reserve Bank, SEBI and the insurance regulator to expand the supply of long-term investment instruments as rising demand for annuity products lengthens its liabilities.

The Reserve Bank of India has recognised the Sahamati Foundation as the self-regulatory organisation for the Account Aggregator ecosystem, a move aimed at strengthening governance and trust in India's open finance framework.

The Reserve Bank of India's revised rules governing banks' exposure to capital markets took effect on July 1 after being pushed back by three months, giving lenders and market intermediaries more time to prepare.

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.

The Japanese yen has traded near its weakest level against the US dollar in about four decades, fuelling speculation that authorities may step in, even as the Bank of Japan continues to tighten policy.

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.

Ratings agency AM Best is maintaining a negative outlook on France's non-life insurance sector, citing limited inflation-adjusted growth, margin pressure and rising claims costs, including from weather-related losses.

German insurer Allianz is reported to be leading the race to acquire HSBC's Singapore insurance business, with the bank said to be seeking a valuation of up to $2 billion for the unit.

Ontario Blue Cross has launched what it calls Canada's first weather-based travel insurance, using automated rain monitoring to pay travellers automatically when bad weather disrupts a trip, without a traditional claims process.

The Central Bank of the UAE has agreed to work with the World Bank Group to strengthen financial inclusion and financial health, cooperating on financial literacy, digital fraud prevention and dispute resolution.

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.