Public Markets 8-Hour Briefing
×Last updated: October 14, 2026, 10:50 PM ET
Currencies & Rates
Asian currencies consolidated against the dollar ahead of U.S. consumer price data due later in the session. The WSJ Dollar Index fell 0.25% to 97.34, snapping a two-day winning streak. Hong Kong's aggregate balance is running low as the Hong Kong dollar nears the weak end of its trading band, prompting strategists to flag rate volatility risks.
Equities
The Nikkei Stock Average rose 0.3% on possible position adjustments as investors positioned ahead of the U.S. inflation release. Asian stocks bounced from two days of losses as technology names recovered, with traders betting on a more accommodative Federal Reserve. U.S. equities ticked lower as early bank results failed to excite investors, while a mixed bank earnings picture and pressure on memory stocks weighed on sentiment. Chip shares slid after the Broadcom chief warned of a "casino" mentality in AI investing, dragging Korea's Kospi sharply lower on losses for Samsung and SK Hynix. Skydance bonds extended losses amid unease over the Warner Bros. buyout, with the cost of protecting the debt climbing.
Commodities & Energy
Gold held steady after a two-day decline as a Federal Reserve official signaled one more rate hike this year, tempering bets on an imminent pivot. Oil futures settled mixed as diesel's rise lifted WTI, with Brent slipping. Asian thermal coal hit a two-year high as power plants stockpiled ahead of winter and supply tightened. U.S. natural gas futures gained on solid LNG feedgas flows and short-term weather views. Rio Tinto kept copper output steady in the third quarter while iron ore sales rose 3%.
Geopolitical Risk
Saudi Aramco's executive headquarters was hit during a Houthi missile attack in eastern Saudi Arabia, with the fire contained. The Financial Times reported that Iran-backed militants were retaliating after a Riyadh-led coalition targeted sites in Yemen.
Financial Regulation & Enforcement
Bank of America agreed to pay $1.21 billion to settle money laundering and sanctions violations, with the Treasury Department calling it the third-largest fine in its history. Regulators said the bank waved through roughly $5bn in suspicious transactions without flagging them. Separately, Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook's lawyer criticized a new Trump investigation, raising "significant concerns" about its objectivity.
Corporate & Deals
AT&T is exiting the Mexican mobile market after roughly a decade, selling its operation to Grupo Televisa and Fintech Holdings. Albertsons is again exploring a sale as sales decline at the second-largest U.S. supermarket chain. Palliser Capital is pressing Samsung Electronics to list shares in the U.S. to buy back preferred stock. Whitbread urged shareholders to reject an activist board seat demand from Corvex Management. KKR sees the bond rout as an opening to lock in high-grade Asian credit, while Uber's robotaxi chief will depart next month.
Policy & Trade
Senators urged the president to reverse a diesel deal with Russia, with 12 bipartisan members objecting. The administration revived its effort to halt construction of Ørsted's Revolution Wind offshore project. Citadel Securities' Rubner said retail traders are returning to AI bets. Hong Kong's rate backdrop and China's bond market remain in focus, as world-beating Chinese debt has dodged the global selloff despite paltry yields.