Real-time News

The Hang Seng Index closed up 243.95 points, or 0.98%, at 25,207.18 on Monday, July 27; the Hang Seng Tech Index closed up 72.54 points, or 1.57%, at 4,702.05; the H-share Index closed up 94.32 points, or 1.14%, at 8,365.38; and the Red Chip Index closed up 6.57 points, or 0.16%, at 4,125.78.

U.S. oil stocks fell in pre-market trading, with Chevron (CVX.N) down 2.7%, ExxonMobil (XOM.N) down 2.9%, and ConocoPhillips (COP.N) down 3.2%.

ECB Governing Council member Kazmir: Once the second wave of inflation takes hold, the cost of reversing it will be extremely high; the ECB must act before these effects materialize.

Phillips 66 (PSX.N): A unit malfunction occurred at its refinery in Woodriver, Illinois.

July 27th - A weekend pause in attacks between the US and Iran boosted market expectations for a potential resumption of energy transport through the Strait of Hormuz. European benchmark natural gas prices fell sharply in early trading on Monday. ICE data showed that as of 07:35 GMT, the near-month benchmark contract at the Dutch TTF gas hub fell €4.69 to €58.89 per megawatt-hour. The UK near-month gas contract fell 11.44 pence to 142.67 pence per British thermal unit (BTU). Last week, natural gas prices rose to their highest intraday level since March, influenced by 13 consecutive days of attacks between the US and Iran. However, prices retreated to a six-day low after the two countries suspended their attacks. Oil prices also fell sharply, with analysts at ING saying in a morning report that this reflected a "market eager for positive news." They stated, "While this is the first substantial sign of easing tensions, the underlying reasons remain unclear." They added that the ceasefire has not yet led to any significant rebound in shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.

The one-year implied yield on the dollar against the Indian rupee was 2.82%, down 10 basis points on the day. Traders said the Reserve Bank of India may be conducting dollar-rupee swap operations.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Bagaei: The mediators conveyed a message from the United States to us, but we are not currently negotiating with Washington.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Bagaei: Negotiations with Oman regarding the Strait of Hormuz will continue.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Bagaei: Negotiations between Iran and Oman on the management of the Strait of Hormuz are progressing positively.

July 27 – Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian held a regular press conference on July 27. A reporter asked, “China-Africa trade achieved remarkable results in the first half of this year, and the full implementation of zero-tariff measures with African countries with which we have diplomatic relations has yielded significant results. What is your comment on this?” Lin Jian stated that China-Africa trade in the first half of this year was characterized by numerous highlights. First, the total volume accelerated significantly. The total value of imports and exports between China and Africa reached 1.41 trillion yuan, the highest for the same period in history, and the total trade volume this year is expected to reach a new level. Second, the structure continued to optimize. Third, the export potential of Africa to China continued to be released.

The VIX fear index fell 0.86 points to 17.74.

French Finance Minister: The impact of these forest fires is like "a lightning strike" on the economy.

U.S. S&P 500 futures rose 0.87%, Nasdaq 100 futures rose 1.45%, and Dow Jones futures rose 0.87%.

Ukrainian President Zelensky: Ukraine attacked Russian export terminals in the Rostov region, and oil facilities in the Yaroslavl and Udmurt regions were also affected.

The Russian Ministry of Defense reported that Russian armed forces continued their nighttime strikes against Ukrainian ports used for transporting supplies to the Ukrainian armed forces. In the port of Mykolaiv, two cargo ships unloading military supplies were attacked by Russian attack drones.