Here’s a tighter WhatsApp caption with the key market moves and corporate updates:
ASIAN MARKETS HIT BY OIL & INFLATION FEARS
Asian stocks and bonds fell sharply as rising oil prices and higher bond yields pushed investors into risk-off mode.
MARKET MOVES
• MSCI Asia Pacific Index fell 1.9%
• Brent crude climbed to $108.24
• US 10-year yield moved close to 5%
• Australia’s 3-year yield hit its highest since 2011
• Markets now see around a 70% chance of a Fed hike next week
OIL IS THE BIG PROBLEM
Renewed Middle East fighting and fears of disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz are keeping oil prices elevated. Investors are now watching closely to see whether higher energy costs feed into broader inflation.
CPI IS THE NEXT BIG TEST
US inflation data due Friday could shape the Fed’s next rate decision. A hotter reading could strengthen the case for higher rates and put further pressure on stocks and bonds.
CORPORATE WATCH
• Microsoft: Plans to more than triple data center capacity as AI demand keeps rising.
• Oracle: Shares gained after stronger-than-expected cloud growth.
• Adobe: Sales outlook narrowly missed estimates amid AI competition fears.
• Nvidia: CEO Jensen Huang called cybersecurity the next major AI opportunity.
• Anthropic: Accused Moonshot AI of secretly routing user requests through Claude.
• Macy’s: Raised its full-year outlook, but investors remained unimpressed.
THE BIG QUESTION
With oil above $100 and Treasury yields nearing 5%, markets are facing a difficult combination of inflation pressure + higher rates + weaker risk appetite.