After a helicopter incident, US and Iranian forces exchanged strikes, threatening a fragile ceasefire and rattling markets — with gold sliding below $4,200 as investors recalibrate geopolitical risk.
Governments have been selling sovereign debt at a record clip, issuing about $504 billion in 1H26 as fiscal financing needs surge and central‑bank intervention keeps yields volatile.
In corporate finance, Ant Group is weighing a roughly $1 billion capital raise to fund growth ahead of a potential Hong Kong IPO later this year. Market watchers say Oracle’s upcoming earnings report will be the next major test for the AI‑fuelled rally, which has shown signs of strain.
Market moves were muted to negative: European equities fell about 0.5%, while major Japanese and Chinese benchmarks slipped between 0.5% and 1%. US futures looked set to open lower by roughly 0.5%–1%. Oil was flat, with Brent near $91 a barrel.