Global Markets Digest

July LEI rose 0.2% month-over-month, topping the 0.1% estimate and reversing the prior -0.1% reading. The six-month Leading Economic Index turned...

Flat futures and Treasury buybacks offered surface relief after the S&P 500 and Nasdaq fell 0.9% and 1%, but the index flipped into negative gamma,...

Bitcoin surged past $70,000 to $71,834 after Treasury doubled long-bond buybacks, easing yields and igniting a $2B+ short liquidation cascade.
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China and Hong Kong equities rebounded Thursday as healthcare stocks surged 8-10% on positive cancer treatment news from Moderna and Merck, while tech indices recovered 3-4% amid broader Asian market gains and fresh corporate share buybacks.

The CFTC has settled cases against ex-FTX and Alameda executives Ellison and Wang, imposing 5-year trading bans. This resolution highlights continued regulatory enforcement in crypto.

• Qualifying stablecoins could count as cash equivalents if redeemable on demand directly with issuers and backed 1:1 by short-term liquid reserves.
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European stocks endured their worst session in a month on Tuesday, pressured by surging bond yields, Middle East tensions, and tech weakness. The...

30-year yields spiked to 5.33%—highest since 2007—amid mixed data and futures weakness.

Treasury doubled buybacks to $4 billion for 10-, 20-, and...

Baidu plunged 12% after missing Q2 expectations, while China Unicom fell nearly 8% on a 30%+ first-half profit drop, dragging Shenzhen down 3.86% and STAR50 6.07% as earnings scrutiny intensifies across China's AI-exposed sectors.

Global bond markets are repricing long-term debt higher as investors demand greater compensation for fiscal risks and capital scarcity.

• Yields at...

• Wall Street opens higher with Dow at 53,463 (+0.23%), S&P 500 at 7,717 (+0.32%), and Nasdaq at 26,394 (+0.4%), recovering from tech slump.
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On August 18, Bitcoin spot ETFs recorded $189 million in net inflows, led by BlackRock’s IBIT at $144 million, lifting August totals to $951 million....

Escalating US-Iran tensions and Strait of Hormuz risks pushed both European and U.S. markets lower, with tech leading declines amid rising oil...

The SEC's Regulation Crypto proposal introduces exemptions for token offerings, marking its first major crypto framework after a cancelled meeting.
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ECB economists flag likely stock corrections from AI valuations, even if the tech proves transformative, contrasting sharply with the US rally.

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• S&P 500 futures ticked up 0.1% as traders weighed weaker spending against sticky prices
• July retail sales fell 0.6% (core -0.2%), pointing to...

Rising oil prices from U.S.-Iran tensions have pushed inflation higher, with headline PCE at 3.7% and core at 3.3% in June 2026. Dividend ETFs offer...

Prediction markets are emerging as a new growth pillar for crypto platforms while directly challenging traditional futures exchanges.

• Coinbase...

S&P 500 equal-weight index has outperformed the cap-weighted version (+16.49% vs +13.95% YTD), signaling a broadening rally beyond mega-caps.

• AI...

Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong argues cryptocurrency is the ideal currency for AI agent-based finance (AiFi).

• Programmable and global: Required for...