Stocks Hit

• Global stock markets opened cautiously on Monday as escalating conflict between the U.S. and Iran drove oil prices up by 2 per cent. • Borrowing costs in Japan and Germany reached multi-year highs, while rising oil prices intensified concerns regarding persistent global inflation. • New Zealand's central bank is expected to raise interest rates this Wednesday, whereas the Bank of Canada is predicted to hold rates steady due to U.S. trade dispute risks.

• Singapore stocks reached an all-time high on Tuesday following an increase in the city-state's annual growth forecast, driven by an AI-powered economic boost. • Conversely, Southeast Asian currencies declined as oil prices hit one-week highs, fueled by fading hopes for a U.S.-Iran agreement and rising energy costs for net importers. • The Philippine peso dropped up to 0.9% to 61.243 per dollar, while the Indonesian rupiah fell 0.6% to 17,850, offsetting gains from the nomination of Destry Damayanti as central bank chief.

• Major Asian multi-strategy hedge funds experienced sharp losses in July 2026 due to a significant selloff in artificial intelligence and technology stocks. • The downturn was driven by declining tech shares across key markets, specifically Japan, South Korea, and China, which erased gains made earlier in the year. • Despite the rout, these platform funds outperformed pure stock-picking peers because their diversified strategies mitigated some of the losses.

• The STOXX Europe 600 Index reached a record closing high for the second consecutive day on May 5, though overall gains were tempered by shifting Middle East peace hopes. • Novo Nordisk shares plummeted 4.3% after sales of the oral version of its obesity drug, Wegovy, failed to meet market expectations despite an increase in 2026 full-year guidance. • In the pharmaceutical sector, reports from Reuters indicated that AstraZeneca is not currently engaged in concrete merger talks with any U.S. companies.

• The STOXX Europe 600 index has reached record highs, driven by a combination of strong corporate earnings and positive macroeconomic data. • Eurozone GDP growth for Q2 2026 hit 0.4% quarter-to-quarter, exceeding consensus expectations by 0.2 percentage points. • According to Pantheon Macroeconomics' chief economist Claus Vistesen, this growth follows an upward revision to zero growth in Q1, signaling a recovery in the region.

• The Dow and S&P 500 reached new record highs, while the Nasdaq rose 2.59%, driven by a rebound in global risk appetite and AI-driven optimism. • Tech stocks led the rally, highlighted by massive gains for Palantir (29%) and ARM (over 17%), though SpaceX and AMD saw post-market sell-offs. • The surge was triggered by cooling inflation expectations, declining Treasury yields, and a reduction in risk premiums as U.S.-Iran geopolitical tensions eased.

• Asian stock markets rallied following gains on Wall Street, with South Korea’s KOSPI surging over 3% and the ASX hitting a record high. • Tech giants led the rebound, featuring significant jumps for SK Hynix (over 6%), Samsung Electronics (nearly 4%), and Foxconn Industrial Internet (nearly 9%). • Chinese and Hong Kong markets also advanced, with the CSI 300 rising 2% and the Hang Seng climbing 1.6%, bolstered by Alibaba's unveiling of its Qwen3.8-Max AI model.