Dollar

• Billion-dollar funding rounds became a standard expectation for startups during the first half of 2026. • Crunchbase reports that 73% of global startup funding in the U.S. flowed into rounds of $1 billion or more. • Companies must now prioritize rigorous internal controls, audited financials, and AI governance to manage this scale of capital.

• European stock markets opened higher on Thursday morning despite recent losses on Wall Street. • The US Federal Reserve raised interest rates for the first time in three years and signaled that further increases are coming. • This policy shift has pushed the US dollar to its highest value in seven weeks.

• A Reuters poll shows that investors are increasing bearish bets on several emerging Asian currencies, including the Philippine peso, Thai baht, Indian rupee, and Malaysian ringgit. • This market shift follows oil prices rising above $100 a barrel and an increase in US Treasury yields. • These conditions put downward pressure on regional currencies, potentially increasing import costs and inflation for these emerging markets.

• Chip stocks in South Korea and Taiwan rose up to 1.1% as investors prepared for an upcoming Federal Reserve interest-rate decision. • Markets priced in a more than 90% probability that the Federal Reserve will implement a 25 basis point hike. • The growth in these semiconductor stocks occurred despite the US dollar remaining near a recent high.

• The 10-year Treasury yield briefly rose above 5% on Monday as the S&P 500 fell 0.48% to close at 7,619.98. • The Treasury yield reached 5.014%, marking the first time it has topped the 5% threshold since October 2023. • These market shifts occur as investors prepare for the Federal Open Market Committee's interest rate decision and the August retail sales report.

• The Euro is trading near a one-month low against the US Dollar on Tuesday as rising US Treasury yields strengthen the greenback. • Market participants expect the US Federal Reserve to raise interest rates to a range of 3.75%-4.00% during its policy announcement on Wednesday. • This anticipated rate hike is weighing on risk assets, causing Bitcoin and the broader cryptocurrency market to correct.

Guardian Australia analysis adds to concerns over the federal scheme, which is to be the subject of a Senate inquiryFederal Labor seats have received over 90% of funds already awarded in the first five months of a controversial multi-million dollar grants program, adding to concerns over the scheme’s selection process.The $568m community grants scheme will be the subject of a Senate inquiry after a report by the Centre for Public Integrity last week revealed the scheme favoured projects in notionally Labor-held electorates, including a $6m grant for a golf club in Anthony Albanese’s electorate. Continue reading...