Market News

Business sentiment among Japan’s largest manufacturers improved in August 2026, supported mainly by continued strength in semiconductor-related industries. The Reuters Tankan manufacturing index climbed to +18 from +13 in July, reaching its highest level since March.

US employers announced 33,429 job cuts in July, the lowest monthly total in two years. Layoffs fell 27% from June and were 46% lower than in July 2025, pointing to continued resilience in the labor market despite ongoing structural changes.

Inflasi zona euro sedikit meningkat pada bulan Juli, dengan kenaikan harga energi yang membuat tekanan harga secara keseluruhan tetap jauh di atas target Bank Sentral Eropa. Inflasi tahunan meningkat menjadi 2,9%, naik dari 2,8% pada bulan Juni, sesuai dengan ekspektasi pasar tetapi masih jauh di atas target 2% ECB.

The Bank of Japan left its policy rate unchanged at 1.0% in July, a widely expected decision after June's 25-basis-point rate hike.

United States home prices ascended to a fresh peak in June, reinforcing a challenging landscape for prospective buyers despite decelerating sales volumes. Data from the National Association of Realtors indicated that the median price for existing homes climbed to $440,600, representing a 1.8% annual advance.

The fragile truce between the United States and Iran has collapsed after a sequence of reciprocal military engagements repositioned the Middle East at the forefront of global risk. Following targeted American airstrikes against Iranian air defense networks, surveillance hubs, missile installations, and drone depots, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard retaliated by striking U.S. military bases in Bahrain and Kuwait. Washington maintained that its initial kinetic operations were necessary to safeguard merchant shipping lanes transiting the strategically critical Strait of Hormuz.

U.S. private-sector hiring cooled unexpectedly in June, signaling a downshift in labor market momentum. According to the latest ADP National Employment Report, private employers added 98,000 jobs, missing the Wall Street consensus estimate of roughly 120,000.

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