Public Markets 8 Hours

Last updated: July 13, 2026, 11:30 PM ET

Geopolitical Tensions Fuel Oil Gains, Rattling Equities

Oil prices, with the U.S. launching strikes on Iran and President Trump announcing a renewed. This intensified geopolitical standoff and accelerated inflation worries, prompting investors to move into "risk-off" mode. Consequently, Asian stocks were set to track Wall Street lower and U.S. equities fell sharply as a selloff in chip stocks rattled confidence in the artificial-intelligence trade. Gold declined amid and monetary policy concerns, despite the heightened geopolitical tensions. The Philippine peso as rising oil prices, driven by Middle East tensions, put renewed pressure on the currency.

Asian Markets Face Headwinds Amid Global Uncertainty

The Singapore dollar, though potentially weighed down by rising Middle East tensions. In South Korea, leveraged bets on chip stocks backfired spectacularly, with a new breed of ETFs tracking major chipmakers tumbling as much as 45%. Shares of SK Hynix Inc. fell in Seoul following a rout on Wall Street, reflecting heightened investor caution after an unprecedented rally in global chipmaker stocks. China’s major airlines are lagging Cathay Pacific by nearly 50% this year, with analysts expecting weaker profits to persist due to lackluster domestic travel demand.

Indian Markets Show Resilience, Airline Seeks Funding

India's large-cap stocks are showing signs of a comeback, supported by global fund inflows, as Jefferies suggests these stocks are becoming more reasonably valued. Meanwhile, Akasa Air, India's youngest airline, is reportedly looking to raise 10.5 billion rupees ($110 through equity and debt to.

Bond Markets and Monetary Policy in Focus

Bond traders ahead of U.S. inflation data and testimony from the Federal Reserve head, which could reinforce the need for monetary tightening. Societe Generale estimates that Japan's Government Pension Investment Fund has room to buy as much as ¥12.3 trillion ($76 of additional government bonds without altering its asset allocation, potentially boosting JGBs. In Chicago, concerns are mounting over the city's pension obligations, with the Illinois comptroller warning of "big trouble" in a stock market downturn.

Corporate Dealmaking and Sectoral Shifts

Data-center builders, capitalizing on strong investor demand for the physical infrastructure behind AI. Seidler Equity is exploring the sale of its stake in Rawlings Sporting Goods Co., a 139-year-old baseball gear maker, amid a. Brown-Forman CEO Lawson Whiting, who has led the spirits giant since 2019, will retire once a successor is appointed. Chipotle Mexican Grill is into Mexico as domestic sales growth slows amid high inflation. Bank of America has promoted Thorsten Pauli to lead its Asia Pacific Global Capital Markets unit.

Regulatory and Political Landscape

The U.S. Health Department rescinded a freeze on $10 billion in funding to five Democratic states after facing legal challenges that could have jeopardized programs for low-income households. In a separate development, a judge as an improper exercise in self-dealing and recommended disciplinary action against involved lawyers. The Trump administration, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio vowing to "dismantle" the court if necessary. The environmental regulatory landscape saw the EPA propose approving Alabama's application to take over certain coal waste permits, reversing a previous decision under.

Other Notable Developments

A Russian billionaire, Dmitry Rybolovlev, prevailed in a fight to remove the manager of a bankrupt $2.5 billion venture capital fund. Oncoclinicas do Brasil Servicos Medicos SA is preparing to file for an. China's air quality progress, despite an enormous cleanup since the "airpocalypse,". U.S. court proceedings.