Public Markets 3 Hours

Last updated: August 16, 2026, 11:38 PM ET

Asian Equities

The Nikkei 225 advanced 0.5% in early Tokyo trading, lifted by preliminary data showing Japan’s second-quarter gross domestic product expanded at a slower pace than economists had projected. The softer-than-expected 2.9% annualized growth reinforced market expectations that the Bank of Japan will maintain its ultra-loose monetary stance at the next policy meeting. Meanwhile, Chinese mainland shares drifted lower as investors digested Xi Jinping’s remarks at the birth centenary of former leader Jiang Zemin, where he reaffirmed the Communist Party’s primacy in steering economic development.

Currency Markets

The Singapore dollar firmed modestly against the greenback, supported by upbeat export figures that signaled resilience in the city-state’s trade-dependent economy. Conversely, the Indian rupee came under mild pressure after the Reserve Bank of India announced plans to terminate the foreign currency non-resident deposit window earlier than scheduled, a move that analysts say could drain liquidity from the banking system and weigh on domestic bond yields.

Commodities

Copper prices surged on the London Metal Exchange, extending a seven-week rally as a key price spread widened to levels not seen in years, underscoring acute near-term supply tightness. Gold also climbed, buoyed by softer U.S. labor-market data and cooler inflation prints that tempered bets on aggressive Federal Reserve tightening. In energy markets, oil prices traded mixed in early Asian hours, with traders weighing the ongoing deadlock in U.S.-Iran nuclear talks that could disrupt flows through the Strait of Hormuz.

Corporate News

Olympus shares gained ground after the Japanese medical-device maker adopted private-equity-style capital-return measures to deter potential suitors and prop up its stock price. In the beauty sector, Chinese cosmetics group Proya announced a distribution partnership with Ulta Beauty, marking a strategic push into the U.S. market and highlighting the growing global appeal of domestically produced “C-beauty” brands.

Emerging Markets

Sri Lanka’s central bank governor signaled that inflation is poised to ease back toward the 5% target over the latter half of this year and into 2024, offering a glimmer of hope for an economy still grappling with a severe currency crisis. In India, silver shipments are rebounding as international traders navigate a new licensing regime to capture lucrative local premiums, despite lingering bureaucratic obstacles.

Geopolitics & Weather

Severe thunderstorms across the U.S. Midwest have left at least seven people dead and prompted widespread evacuations, with authorities in Indiana bracing for additional rainfall that could exacerbate flooding risks. On the corporate front, a Hong Kong court ordered the liquidation of a trading unit owned by SDIC Commodities, reflecting Beijing’s intensified regulatory scrutiny of commodity traders.