Fundamental

Paul Nowak says changes to immigration rules risk overstretching social care and fuelling far-right sentimentAndy Burnham must overhaul Shabana Mahmood’s migration reforms or risk overstretching social care and fuelling far-right sentiment, the TUC general secretary, Paul Nowak, has warned.Speaking ahead of the TUC’s annual congress in Brighton next week, Nowak welcomed the “sense of optimism” around Burnham’s fledgling government, but he urged the PM to act in a series of areas, including migration and the cost of living. Continue reading...

• The U.S. trading session was primarily driven by labor-market data and shifting Federal Reserve expectations, causing volatility in the U.S. dollar and Treasury yields. • Policymakers are closely monitoring sharp fluctuations in the Japanese yen due to their potential influence on global financial conditions and inflation. • Japan's economy continues to show moderate expansion, fueled by strong corporate investment, firm domestic consumption, and a recovering global demand.

• Over 50% of South Korea's listed companies surpassed market expectations in their second-quarter earnings reports. • These strong financial results indicate that corporate fundamentals remain resilient despite significant volatility currently affecting the Kospi. • The trend is critical as it bolsters investor confidence in the underlying strength of the Korean economy amidst market instability.

• Risk-off sentiment dominated the Asia session on July 24, 2026, as escalating Middle East tensions pushed crude oil prices above $100 per barrel and renewed global inflation concerns. • Canadian retail sales rose 1.0% in May with further increases expected in June, signaling consumer resilience and supporting the CAD, with USD/CAD trading between 1.4070 and 1.4080. • The Governing Council maintained the overnight rate target at 2.25% during its July 15, 2026 meeting, marking the sixth consecutive hold in a policy pause that started in late 2025.

• Risk-off sentiment dominated the Asia session on July 24, 2026, as escalating Middle East tensions pushed crude oil prices above $100 per barrel and renewed global inflation concerns. • Canadian economic data showed consumer resilience, with retail sales rising 1.0% in May and further increases expected in June, supporting the CAD against the USD around 1.4070–1.4080. • The Governing Council maintained the overnight rate target at 2.25% during its July 15, 2026 meeting, marking the sixth consecutive hold in a policy pause that started in late 2025.

• The US Treasury included South Korea on its semiannual foreign exchange monitoring list in a report released Thursday. • Despite South Korea's strong economic fundamentals and a large current account surplus, the US noted that the won remains under sustained depreciation pressure. • South Korea remains on the watchlist alongside nine other nations, including China, Japan, Taiwan, Singapore, Vietnam, Germany, Ireland, Switzerland, and Thailand.

• The Australian June Labour Market Report released during the Asian session on July 23, 2026, showed results significantly stronger than market expectations. • The Swiss National Bank (SNB) continues to monitor the franc, maintaining the option for foreign-exchange intervention to prevent excessive appreciation from threatening price stability. • Recent SNB commentary suggests the franc has depreciated, which has eased financial conditions and provided support for overall economic activity.

• The Asia session was primarily influenced by Japanese trade data, a weakening Japanese yen, and persistent geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. • Key market drivers for July 22, 2026, include the U.S. EIA crude oil inventory report and high-profile U.S. corporate earnings. • These events are expected to impact the volatility of the U.S. dollar, equity indices, Treasury yields, and safe-haven assets.

• Investor sentiment improved during the Asia session on July 21, 2026, following reports of proposed international mediation for a temporary ceasefire in the Middle East. • The news eased immediate market concerns regarding potential energy supply disruptions, causing crude oil prices to retreat from their recent highs. • Asian equity markets saw a recovery as a result of the geopolitical optimism, with notable gains recorded in Japan’s Nikkei and South Korea’s KOSPI.

• Brent crude oil prices surged above $90 per barrel following escalating U.S.-Iran tensions and renewed shipping disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz. • The Canadian dollar remains firm following the Bank of Canada's decision to maintain its policy rate at 2.25% for the sixth consecutive meeting. • The Bank of Canada adopted a balanced tone, noting that while inflation pressures are easing, economic growth is projected to strengthen later in the year.

• Brent crude oil prices surged above $90 per barrel following escalating U.S.-Iran tensions and renewed shipping disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz. • The Canadian dollar started Monday strong, though it remains highly sensitive to geopolitical instability and fluctuating oil prices. • The Bank of Canada maintained its policy rate at 2.25% for the sixth straight meeting, noting that inflation pressures are easing.

• Market expert Vinod Nair suggests that Indian equities are positioned to outperform global peers in the medium term due to resilient domestic demand and reasonable valuations. • The Nifty50 has shown strength by recovering quickly from geopolitical volatility in West Asia and crude price spikes, finding steady support between 23,900 and 24,100. • Early Q1FY27 results and business updates indicate that corporate earnings growth may be stronger than previously anticipated by investors.

• South Korea is experiencing a stock market frenzy driven by AI speculation, leading to sharp price swings and increased volatility. • Market movements are being fueled by leveraged investment products rather than corporate fundamentals, unsettling both regulators and investors. • This instability complicates the valuation of South Korean equities, which is critical given the nation's role as a primary supplier of AI-related semiconductor technology.

• The Indonesian stock market (IDX) is currently experiencing heightened volatility and persistent downward pressure. • This decline is primarily driven by prolonged foreign capital outflows resulting from global economic uncertainties and potential downgrades from global index providers. • A shift in investor behavior is occurring, where massive IPO oversubscriptions are no longer seen as guarantees of success, leading investors to prioritize company fundamentals over market hype.

• U.S. markets are currently reacting to a surprisingly weak June employment report, which has strengthened expectations that the Federal Reserve will maintain a patient approach toward further policy tightening. • The Bank of Japan (BOJ) is maintaining flexibility to intervene in the government bond market or adjust operations to counter excessive yen fluctuations and ensure financial stability. • Japan's economy is experiencing moderate but uneven growth as of July 2026, driven by resilient domestic demand and corporate investment despite geopolitical tensions and weak global manufacturing.

Founder of Maternity Safety Alliance says recommendation in Amos report will not solve wider cultural problemsThe appointment of a national maternity commissioner would be “fundamentally dangerous”, a bereaved mother who founded a maternity safety campaign group has warned.Emily Barley, whose daughter Beatrice died because of failings at Barnsley hospital in 2022, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that the recommendation for a maternity commissioner in England in the Amos review was “not going to do what we need to move maternity safety forwards”.Maternity triage services – the childbirth equivalent of A&E – need an urgent overhaul, including more staff on duty, so that women’s concerns are acted on more quickly.Families should get the right to seek a fresh, independent investigation when things go wrong if they are not happy with the hospital’s own inquiry.The NHS’s “brutal” and “cruel” system of agreeing compensation with harmed and bereaved families should be replaced by a new process in which hospitals admit errors immediately.The NHS must root out racism and discrimination that is “embedded throughout the maternity and neonatal system”. Continue reading...

• Market analysts Ansh Jogendra Bhilwar and Pooja Tripathi have released a watchlist of recommended stocks, including Wipro, L&T, and HAL, focusing on cash and derivatives. • The suggestions cover a variety of investment horizons, ranging from short-term trades to long-term themes across multiple sectors. • Specifically, Tripathi recommends buying Asian Paints futures with a target price of Rs 2,810 and a stop loss set at Rs 2,710.

• Over the last 7 days, the US market rose 3.2% and is up 31% over the past year, with earnings forecast to grow 16% annually, spotlighting undiscovered gems based on debt-to-equity, revenue growth, earnings growth, and health ratings. • Top picks include First Bancorp (68.27% debt/equity, 1.25% revenue growth, -3.09% earnings growth, ★★★★★★), Southern Michigan Bancorp (108.80% debt/equity, 7.38% revenue growth, 0.84% earnings growth, ★★★★★★), and Cashmere Valley Bank (31.63% debt/equity, 5.07% revenue growth, 1.43% earnings growth, ★★★★★★). • Other notables are ASA Gold and Precious Metals (12.65% revenue growth, 41.20% earnings growth, ★★★★★★), Anbio Biotechnology (-30.09% revenue growth, -3.45% earnings growth, ★★★★★★), and Affinity Bancshares (41.71% debt/equity, 1.36% revenue growth, -0.22% earnings growth, ★★★★★★).

Program portrayed efforts to wean Australia off fossil fuels as morally bankrupt, trashing rainforests and enslaving Australia to ChinaGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastChildren sieve mud, workers drop down claustrophobic hand-cut mine shafts, men grimace while others carve out rock with chisels in bare feet to recover cobalt “for our renewable green dream”.These were the dramatic scenes from the Democratic Republic of Congo in a “special investigation” from Channel Seven’s Spotlight program, aired in prime-time on Sunday evening. Continue reading...

Iran’s top negotiator says both sides remain far apart after Tehran again closed strait of Hormuz after US said it would not end its blockadeFull report: Iran closes strait of Hormuz again ‘until US lifts blockade’Welcome to our live coverage of events in the Middle East.Iran’s top negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, said on Saturday that the recent talks with the US had made progress but gaps remained over nuclear issues and the strait of Hormuz. “We have had progress but there is still a big distance between us,” he told state media, referring to talks last weekend. “We made progress in the negotiations, but there are many gaps and some fundamental points remain.”After the initial talks between the US and Iran last weekend in Pakistan, the Iranian deputy foreign minister, Saeed Khatibzadeh, said a second date cannot be set until both sides “have agreed on the framework”.Iran’s supreme national security council, the country’s highest decision-making body under the supreme leader, said it is reviewing “new proposals” put forward by the US, according to Iranian media.Hezbollah has denied it was involved in the deadly attack against UN peacekeepers in southern Lebanon, which killed a French soldier. A UN peacekeeper was killed and three others were injured after a patrol came under attack from “non-state actors”, the UN Interim Force in Lebanon said.Israeli forces on Saturday began demolishing homes in the southern Lebanese town of Bint Jbeil and other border towns where Israeli troops are present, Lebanese state media reported.The Israeli military killed two Unicef-contracted truck drivers at a water point in the northern Gaza Strip, forcing the UN agency to suspend its operations in the area, Unicef said.Pope Leo XIV said that it is “not in my interest at all” to debate Trump about the Iran war, but that he would continue preaching the Gospel message of peace.Trump left the White House Saturday afternoon to play golf, despite Iran’s re-closure of the strait of Hormuz in response to the US blockade of Iranian ports. Continue reading...

• Scientists at the Indian Institute of Science, working with collaborators from Japan's National Institute for Materials Science, have observed electrons in graphene flowing like a nearly frictionless liquid, defying a core law of physics. • Researchers created exceptionally clean graphene samples and measured electrical and thermal conductivity, finding that as electrical conductivity rose, thermal conductivity dropped—the opposite of expected behavior. • The team discovered the fluid's viscosity is extremely low, making it one of the closest realizations of a perfect fluid ever observed, establishing graphene as an accessible platform for studying extreme physics phenomena.