Global Markets:
- Asian Stock Markets : Nikkei down 0.12%, Shanghai Composite up 0.52% Hang Seng up 2.54% ASX down 0.69%
- Commodities : Gold at $4,139.51 (-0.46%) Silver at $61.030 (-0.51%), Brent Oil at $76.10 (2.62%), WTI Oil at $72.30 (2.63%)
- Rates : US 10-year yield at 4.556, UK 10-year yield at 4.8519, Germany 10-year yield at 2.9875
News & Data:
- (USD) Trade Balance 4.2B to 2.8B expected
- (CAD) Trade Balance -77.6B to -78.3B expected
Markets Update:
U.S. stock futures traded near flat on Tuesday as investors assessed escalating tensions in the Middle East, rising oil prices, and awaited the Federal Reserve’s latest policy meeting minutes. Dow Jones Industrial Average futures slipped 29 points, while S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 futures each edged down about 0.1%.
The U.S. launched a series of strikes against Iran after attacks on three commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. In response, the Treasury Department revoked Iran’s license to sell oil internationally. The developments pushed energy prices higher, with West Texas Intermediate crude rising 2.1% to $71.87 per barrel and Brent crude gaining 1.9% to $75.53.
Asian markets were mostly lower on Wednesday. Japan’s Nikkei 225 and Topix fell 0.55% and 0.7%, while South Korea’s Kospi and Kosdaq declined 0.72% and 1.94%, respectively. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng rose 1.2%, while China’s CSI 300 slipped 0.47%.
In Tuesday’s U.S. session, investors rotated out of artificial intelligence-related stocks as higher oil prices weighed on sentiment. The Dow fell more than 100 points after reaching a record intraday high, while the S&P 500 lost 0.5% and the Nasdaq Composite dropped 1.2%.
Markets now await the Federal Reserve’s June meeting minutes for clues on future interest rate decisions and policymakers’ outlook on inflation.
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The post Wednesday 8th July 2026: Markets Cautious as Middle East Tensions Rise Ahead of Fed Minutes first appeared on IC Your Trading Edge | Official Blog.