Rise Fall

• Asia-Pacific markets rallied on Monday due to a decline in oil prices after a pause in US-Iran fighting. • Industrial profits in the region rose 15.1% year on year in June, with first-half earnings increasing 18.7%. • Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index advanced 0.98% to 25,207.18, led by gains from Xiaomi, Galaxy Entertainment Group, and Laopu Gold.

• Stock futures are indicating a sharp decline for Friday's market open, driven largely by a continued sell-off in semiconductor stocks. • Oil prices have increased following U.S. military strikes targeting Iranian infrastructure and supply routes. • These simultaneous shifts highlight growing volatility in the tech sector and rising geopolitical tensions affecting global energy markets.

• Asian stock markets declined on Thursday, with South Korea's KOSPI plunging over 6% and Japan's Nikkei 225 falling 2.98% due to pressure on semiconductor shares. • The downturn comes as investors await earnings from industry leader Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), which is forecast to report a 59% jump in net profit for the April-June period. • Despite the broader slump, the Taiwan Weighted index rose 2% and Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index climbed 1.85%, while Wall Street futures trended higher.

Long-running AIHW survey shows daily rates of smoking dropped to 5.6% last year – down from 8.3% two years agoGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastDaily smoking rates have fallen to a historic low and are tracking well ahead of national targets, while vaping rates have stabilised, according to the largest nationally representative survey on tobacco use.But those who do smoke are increasingly using illicit tobacco, the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare’s (AIHW) National Drug Strategy Household Survey also found. Continue reading...

• Japan's Nikkei index dropped 1.12% to 67,786.86 by the midday break as rising oil prices negatively impacted corporate outlooks. • While the broader market fell, bank shares helped limit the decline of the Topix index. • Key financial institutions, including Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group and Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, both saw gains of more than 2%.

• Asian stock markets declined following U.S. military strikes against Iran, which triggered a surge in global oil prices. • Key indices were negatively impacted, with South Korea's Kospi index dropping 1.6% and Japan's Nikkei 225 falling 0.2%. • The geopolitical tension caused a broader market ripple, leading to price drops in gold and Bitcoin.

• New employment data scheduled for release this week will determine if the labor market remains stable halfway through 2026. • Recent payroll growth exceeded expectations across March, April, and May, signaling strong previous momentum. • Bloomberg economists predict Thursday's employment situation report will show a gain of 113,000 jobs for June and a flat unemployment rate.