Daily News 7th Sep 26
Daily News
Asia-Pacific Markets Rise Despite Renewed Middle East Hostilities; Dow Sheds 272 Points on Hot Jobs Data; Gold Slips Toward $4,400; Crude Tops $92 as U.S.-Iran Strikes Resume
07 September 2026
Today in Brief
Asia-Pacific markets rose Monday as investors looked past renewed U.S.-Iran hostilities, with Japan's Nikkei 225 adding nearly 2% and the Topix up 0.33%, South Korea's Kospi advancing 3.65% and the Kosdaq gaining 1.08%, while Australia's S&P/ASX 200 was flat, Hong Kong's Hang Seng fell nearly 1% and mainland China's CSI 300 inched 0.19% higher. U.S. stocks had fallen Friday after August's hotter-than-expected payrolls report reignited rate-hike fears — the Dow dropped 271.86 points, or 0.51%, to 53,414.25, the S&P 500 slid 0.38% to 7,718.60 and the Nasdaq fell 0.29% to 26,506.99 — as nonfarm payrolls grew 162,000 versus expectations of 53,000, with unemployment steady at 4.1%. Gold fell toward $4,400 an ounce, extending losses as markets raised the odds of a September Fed rate hike to roughly 60%. Crude oil rose above $92 a barrel, extending last week's gains, as the U.S. and Iran exchanged strikes in the Middle East, with Washington targeting three Iranian oil tankers and Tehran striking back at vessels linked to the U.S.
In other news: Israel ordered evacuations in southern Lebanon ahead of planned strikes on a Hezbollah facility, deepening cracks in the ceasefire; strategists flagged the 10-year Treasury yield's approach to a closely watched 4.8% level; President Trump escalated pressure on the Fed, threatening to halt trade with countries running surpluses with the U.S. unless rates are cut; Energy Secretary Chris Wright said a negotiated Iran nuclear deal may never materialize; Bitcoin-based Liquid Network said $320 million was withdrawn from its federation wallet in a hack; Foxconn said third-quarter results should beat expectations on AI-related demand; Anthropic's IPO marketing timeline shifted to mid-October, with a listing targeted before the U.S. midterm elections; and some Chinese rare earth suppliers were reported halting shipments to U.S. companies ahead of President Xi Jinping's September 24 Washington visit.
Asia-Pacific markets rise as investors assess renewed Middle East hostilities
Asia-Pacific markets rose Monday, as investors appeared to look past tensions in the Middle East with U.S. and Iran engaging in tit-for-tat strikes. Japan's Nikkei 225 added nearly 2%, while the Topix rose 0.33%. The Kospi advanced 3.65%, while the small-cap Kosdaq gained 1.08%. Australia's benchmark S&P/ASX 200 was flat. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index was down nearly 1%, while mainland China's CSI 300 inched 0.19% higher.
Dow tumbles more than 260 points after strong jobs report reignites rate hike fears
The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell on Friday as August's hotter-than-expected payrolls reading increased expectations that the Federal Reserve could raise interest rates at its next meeting. The 30-stock Dow was down 271.86 points, or 0.51%, closing at 53,414.25. The S&P 500 slid 0.38% to end at 7,718.60, while the Nasdaq Composite dropped 0.29% to 26,506.99. Nonfarm payrolls grew 162,000 last month, much more than the 53,000 that economists polled by Dow Jones expected. The unemployment rate held steady at 4.1%, as expected. On top of last month's gain, figures for both June and July saw upward revisions.
Gold fell toward $4,400 an ounce on Monday, extending losses from the previous session
Gold fell toward $4,400 an ounce on Monday, extending losses from the previous session, pressured by growing expectations of an imminent Federal Reserve interest rate hike following stronger-than-expected US jobs data last week. Data released Friday showed US nonfarm payrolls rose by 162,000 in August, following an upwardly revised increase of 23,000 in July and well above market expectations for a gain of 56,000. Meanwhile, the unemployment rate remained unchanged at 4.1%, while annual wage growth slowed to 3.1%, although the decline was smaller than economists had expected. Markets increased bets on a September Fed rate hike to roughly 60%, up from around 50% before the data release
Crude oil rose above $92 per barrel on Monday, extending last week's gains
Crude oil rose above $92 per barrel on Monday, extending last week's gains as the US and Iran exchanged strikes in the Middle East, fuelling concerns over prolonged disruptions to energy flows from the region. The US targeted three Iranian oil tankers over the weekend in retaliation for ballistic missile attacks on US Navy warships. In response, Tehran attacked oil tankers and other vessels linked to the US and would introduce a "restricted" maritime zone beyond the Strait of Hormuz in the coming days. Meanwhile, US Energy Secretary Chris Wright said the US would maintain its naval presence in the Middle East, including the blockade designed to curb Iranian oil exports and help ensure the safe passage of commercial vessels through Hormuz. Fighting between the two sides resumed last week after roughly a month of relative calm, pushing oil prices about 10% higher as markets reassessed geopolitical and supply risks.
Israel-Hezbollah clashes deepen threat to fragile truce as Lebanon's president calls for U.S. support
Israel's military ordered evacuations in southern Lebanon Monday, ahead of planned strikes on a Hezbollah facility, deepening cracks in a ceasefire that has failed to stop near-daily exchanges of fire. In a X post on Monday morning, Israeli military spokesperson Ella Waweya called on residents inside a building marked on an accompanying map in Deir al-Zahrani — and in adjacent structures — to "evacuate immediately" and move at least 300 meters away, saying the site was near a Hezbollah facility the army intended to target and warning that remaining in the area "puts you in danger."
Treasury yields face 4.8% test as fiscal risks threaten to spill into other assets
Treasury yields face a key test at 4.8%, with a sustained move above that level potentially creating "meaningful problems" for other asset classes, according to Matt Maley, chief market strategist at Miller Tabak + Co. "We remain concerned about the Treasury market…as rising fiscal deficits, massive debt issuance, and heavy corporate borrowing continue to pressure long-term yields... while Treasury Department jawboning has failed to produce the desired decline in rates (at least so far)," Maley said in a note over the weekend. A sustained move above 4.8% on the 10-year Treasury yield — which marks the high reached in January 2025 — "would be particularly concerning," he said, as it could begin to create broader problems for markets and signal that fiscal concerns are overwhelming policymakers' attempts to influence borrowing costs.
Trump turns up the heat on Warsh as Fed rate hike looms
Ten days ahead of a meeting in which the Federal Reserve will likely consider raising interest rates, the Trump administration looks to be in a full-court press to halt the hike in its tracks. In the past week, the president, vice president, Treasury secretary and one of the president's senior economic counselors have all urged the Fed not to raise rates and, in some cases, to cut them — an unusually broad public pressure campaign even by the standards of Trump's long-running criticism of the central bank. While President Donald Trump has avoided directly criticizing his new Fed chairman Kevin Warsh, as he did former chair Jay Powell, he escalated the pressure Friday by threatening to halt trade with countries that run trade surpluses with the U.S. unless the Fed cuts interest rates. Trump had never before directly threatened tariffs if the Fed didn't lower rates.
U.S. Energy Secretary Wright says Iran nuclear deal may never happen
U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright on Sunday said the U.S. may not reach an elusive deal to constrain Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, as the U.S.-Iran conflict enters its seventh month. "There may not be a nuclear agreement. It may be simply destroying their capabilities to do it," Wright said on ABC News' "This Week." "An agreement may await the next administration in Iran. We simply don't know that." Trump has repeatedly said preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon is a central objective of the U.S. campaign. He has also sought a negotiated deal with Iran throughout the war, which has sent energy prices soaring worldwide. Wright's comments suggest the administration may pursue its goal of preventing an Iranian nuclear weapon without reaching a negotiated nuclear agreement.
Bitcoin-based Liquid Network says $320 million withdrawn in hack
Liquid Network, a Bitcoin-based payments and settlement network, said on Sunday that about $320 million was withdrawn from its federation wallet in a hack. "Purported white-hat hackers" withdrew around 4,000 of the 4,200-bitcoin held in its Liquid Federation wallet, Liquid Network said in a post on X. "Liquid wallets will be impacted, and we're sorry for any inconvenience," Liquid Network said, adding that it has halted new transactions. The funds were withdrawn via SideSwap, a settlement platform permitted to handle withdrawals from the network, though the key used in the process was not compromised, Liquid Network added.
Foxconn says third quarter to outperform market expectations on AI strength
Foxconn's third-quarter performance is expected to outperform market expectations given strong AI-related demand, the Taiwanese contract electronics maker said on Saturday, though it offered caution about "volatile" global politics. Foxconn, Nvidia's biggest server maker and a major Apple supplier, has been a big beneficiary of the trend towards AI, reporting last month a 35% rise in second-quarter profit that beat analyst forecasts. "In the third quarter, as AI demand continues to grow, and ICT products also enter the peak season of the second half of the year, operations are expected to gradually gain momentum," it said in a statement, referring to information and communication technology. "Currently, the company's visibility for the third quarter has improved compared to the previous month, with overall performance expected to outperform market expectations," it added, without giving details.
Anthropic IPO launch shifts toward mid-October, sources say
Anthropic is expected to begin marketing its initial public offering in mid-October at the earliest and complete the listing days before the U.S. midterm elections in November, people familiar with the matter said on Friday. The artificial intelligence company had been expected to make its IPO prospectus public as early as next week, two of the people said, a crucial step that would kick off the final stages of the offering. Now that is not expected until late September, the people added, cautioning that the plans, including the timing, are subject to change. The shift pushes back what some investors have said could be a $2 trillion listing, one of the largest IPOs ever attempted and a major test of public-market appetite for the rapidly growing artificial intelligence industry. Companies frequently adjust their IPO schedules as they work through market conditions, regulatory reviews and other preparations, so such changes are not unusual.
China rare earth firms halt some US shipments over geopolitical worries, sources say
Some Chinese rare earth suppliers are declining to ship to the U.S. for fear of repercussions from Beijing, three sources said, underscoring how access to the materials remains an issue for the U.S. weeks before President Xi Jinping visits Washington. U.S. officials have repeatedly asked China to stick to commitments made in Busan and Beijing over the past year to ensure the smooth flow of rare earth export licences. The persistence of the problem has put it on the U.S. planning agenda ahead of Xi's September 24 visit, a source familiar with the work said. A handful of Chinese suppliers have refused to ship rare earths to U.S. companies since early August when China imposed sanctions on the Responsible Business Alliance (RBA), a U.S. supply chain monitor, a separate source with direct knowledge of the situation said.
