Have European stocks turned a corner?

• Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is planning a bold intervention involving bond buying to prevent a potentially damaging increase in US borrowing costs. • Shoki Omori, chief fixed income strategist for Japan at Deutsche Bank AG, warns that providing greater liquidity support for Treasuries typically occurs at the expense of the currency.

• U.S. stock futures are showing mixed, muted movement ahead of the market open, with S&P 500 E-Mini futures down -0.03% and Nasdaq 100 E-Mini futures up +0.05%. • Market direction remains uncertain as a recent rally in Treasuries has faded and investors await upcoming U.S. economic data.

• Treasury buybacks have recently lifted technology stocks, specifically benefiting chipmakers, cryptocurrency, and Moderna. • Market analysts argue that the "signal" of easing financial conditions and Scott Bessent's pledge for further action is more significant than the actual size of the buybacks.

• Indian equity markets ended largely flat on Friday, August 21, 2026, with the Nifty 50 edging up 0.08% to 24,252 and the BSE Sensex closing unchanged at 77,540.83. • Despite the flat daily finish, both benchmarks suffered weekly losses, with the Nifty 50 dropping 0.5% and the Sensex falling 0.6%.

• Planning and Budget Minister Park Hong-keun and Education Minister Choi Kyo-jin held a joint media briefing on August 21, 2026, following the first Fiscal Management Strategy Council meeting in Seoul. • The meeting focused on resolving ongoing disputes between the two ministers regarding proposed reforms to the local education finance grant.

• The FTSE 100 closed at 10,743.35 points on Wednesday, marking a gain of 15.31 points (0.14%) over Tuesday's close. • The London benchmark outperformed other European indices, which remained cautious due to volatility in semiconductor and AI infrastructure stocks.

• Asian stock markets experienced a rebound, led by gains in South Korea's KOSPI, though overall weekly losses persist. • The market remains volatile due to ongoing risks associated with bond yields and fluctuating oil prices.

• On August 21, the Indian stock market showed resilience as the Sensex rose 100 points following a flat opening, while the Nifty traded around 24,260. • Power Grid Corp and Kotak Mahindra Bank emerged as the top gainers, contributing to a broader Asian trend where India led gains at 0.82%, followed by Hong Kong and Singapore.

• India has replaced Indonesia as the least-preferred stock market in Asia among global fund managers, according to a recent Bank of America survey. • The decline in investor sentiment is driven by concerns over high stock-market valuations, slowing economic growth, and a perceived lack of exposure to artificial intelligence.

• Indian equities ended their losing streak on August 20, 2026, with the Sensex climbing 628.04 points (0.82%) to 77,537.72 and the Nifty 50 rising 153.55 points (0.64%) to 24,231.85. • The rally was driven by broad-based gains in IT and financial stocks, supported by improved global risk appetite and advances in US indices like the Dow, S&P 500, and Nasdaq.

• Asian stock markets rose following the US Treasury's decision to expand its debt buybacks, boosting investor confidence across the region. • South Korea's benchmark Kospi led the gains with a significant rebound of over 6%, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng climbed 1.1% to 25,786.32.