Latest market news

Gold rebounded to $4,080 after softer US inflation data shifted rate expectations

Gold spot prices fell to a low near $3,984 mid-week before rebounding 1.35% to approximately $4,080.67 by 26 June 2026, leaving the metal down $141.75 on the week; exchange-traded products GLD and IAU, which track spot gold, were also affected.

Binance to cease EU services after failing to secure MiCA licence

Binance announced on 26 June 2026 it would stop serving European clients after failing to obtain authorisation under the EU's MiCA regulation, with the compliance deadline set at 1 July 2026. BNB, BTC, and ETH were held by affected EU-based users whose exchange access was curtailed.

SpaceX $25bn bond deal spreads widen sharply in secondary market

SpaceX bonds from a $25 billion deal widened sharply in secondary market trading, with Bloomberg Markets calling the spread deterioration unusually fast relative to recent comparable offerings. SpaceX equity momentum was separately reported to have slowed after the company's market debut.

OpenAI delays GPT-5.6 launch after White House request

The Trump administration asked OpenAI to stagger the release of GPT-5.6 on national security grounds; CEO Sam Altman told staff access will be approved customer by customer during a limited preview.

Ex-NY Fed President Dudley publicly criticised Warsh's FOMC statement reform plans

Former New York Fed President Bill Dudley publicly warned on 25 June 2026 that proposed FOMC statement reforms under Chairman Kevin Warsh risked confusing markets and the Fed itself; US Treasuries and the US dollar were identified in the brief as instruments sensitive to FOMC communication shifts.

Google, Microsoft, Amazon compete for grid capacity amid AI data centre expansion

Oilprice reporting from 25–26 June 2026 described major tech companies competing for electrical grid capacity for AI data centres, with per-facility infrastructure costs of $100m–$500m. Rystad Energy forecast fuel cell revenues rising from $2.8bn in 2025 to $30bn by 2030.

ECB May 2026 survey: short-term inflation expectations fell to 3.5%

The ECB's May 2026 Consumer Expectations Survey recorded short-term inflation expectations declining to 3.5% from 4.0%, with medium-term expectations in the 2.4–2.9% range; separately, Bloomberg Markets reported market pricing for ECB rate increases in 2026 had fallen to below a 25 basis point hike.

Qatar force majeure expected to lapse mid-July; eight tankers queue at Ras Laffan

Asian LNG buyers anticipated Qatar's force majeure declaration would lapse in mid-July 2026 as Persian Gulf tensions eased; eight empty LNG tankers had congregated at Qatar's Ras Laffan terminal as of 26 June 2026, with additional vessels approaching.

Greek national charged in UK with assisting Iran intelligence against journalist

Ioannis Aidinidis, 46, was charged under the National Security Act 2023 over the alleged targeting of a UK-based journalist at Iran International.

Judge blocks Trump's $1.8bn Anti-Weaponization Fund amid legal challenges

A federal judge in Virginia temporarily barred the Justice Department from operating or disbursing money from the $1.776bn fund, with a follow-up hearing set for 12 June.

Waymo launches public rides in Zeekr-built Ojai robotaxi across SF, LA, and Phoenix

Waymo opened free public rides in its Ojai robotaxi — built by Zeekr — on 28 May 2026, deploying its 6th-generation Driver system across three US cities.

Oil drops 5% on US-Iran deal hopes; gold, Asian equities rally

GS Q2 2026: filings, holdings, and macro context

US PCE inflation rose 4.1% year-on-year in May 2026, largest since April 2023

The PCE price index rose 4.1% year-on-year and 0.4% month-on-month in May 2026, with the Dallas Fed trimmed mean PCE rising to 2.8% from 2.4%. Energy costs including gas prices were identified as key drivers.

SK Hynix plans $29.4bn Nasdaq ADR listing; Seoul shares rise 11-12%

SK Hynix announced plans on 25 June 2026 to raise up to $29.4 billion via a Nasdaq ADR listing; its Seoul-listed shares rose between 11% and 12% on the day of the announcement.

Australia May 2026 unemployment fell to 4.4%; part-time jobs led gains

Australia's unemployment rate fell to 4.4% from 4.5% in May 2026, matching consensus, as employment rebounded from April declines; job gains were concentrated in part-time positions and the participation rate was unchanged.

Twin magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 earthquakes strike Venezuela; 164 killed

Two earthquakes of magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 struck 160 km west of Caracas on 25 June 2026, killing at least 164 and injuring ~1,000. Venezuela declared a state of emergency; PDVSA infrastructure and the Venezuelan bolívar were directly exposed to the disruption.

Micron, Intel, AMD gained $2 trillion market cap in Q2 2026

Micron (MU), Intel (INTC), and AMD collectively added $2 trillion in market capitalisation in Q2 2026, while the Magnificent Seven technology stocks lost a combined $2.3 trillion over the same period, according to CNBC TOP.

Iraq issued OPEC ultimatum demanding higher production quotas on 25 June

Iraq formally demanded significantly higher production allowances from OPEC on 25 June 2026, threatening withdrawal if rejected. CNBC TOP subsequently reported Iraq had decided to remain within OPEC and pursue quota negotiations rather than execute an immediate exit.

Alibaba shares hit 16-month low after Anthropic distillation attack accusation

BABA and ALBAF fell to 16-month lows on 25 June 2026 after Anthropic alleged Alibaba conducted the largest known distillation attack on its Claude AI model, using thousands of fraudulent accounts to extract model capabilities without authorisation.