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According to the Yomiuri Shimbun, the Japanese Prime Minister plans to reshuffle his cabinet in mid-to-late September.

On August 21, the Federal Reserve's reverse repurchase agreement (RRP) facility, open to foreign central banks and other monetary authorities, continued to see increased usage, with the balance rising for two consecutive weeks, reflecting that overseas official institutions are continuing to increase their dollar cash reserves. As of August 19, the amount of foreign entities holding funds in the Fed's reverse repurchase pool rose to $373 billion, up from $357 billion a week earlier. Since August 5, the usage of this tool has increased by approximately $56 billion, marking the largest two-week increase since October 2022. The market is closely watching changes in the foreign reverse repurchase balance for signs that Japan is rebuilding dollar liquidity after intervening in the foreign exchange market last month to support the yen.

On August 21st, sources revealed that artificial intelligence company Anthropic is planning to bring in Citigroup as a lead underwriter for its initial public offering (IPO). If the deal goes through, Citigroup will join Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs, and JPMorgan Chase as lead underwriters. Anthropic may file for listing with regulators as early as the end of this month. Lead underwriter status for a large IPO not only means substantial underwriting commission income but also helps improve an investment bank's ranking in the equity financing market. Citigroup currently ranks among the top IPO underwriters in the US due to its participation in SpaceX's record-breaking $86.2 billion IPO. Sources indicated that Anthropic's listing preparations are still underway, and the final underwriting syndicate list may be adjusted, with the possibility of adding other investment banks.

Market news: Anthropic plans to add Citigroup (CN) as the lead underwriter in its large IPO.

S&P Dow Jones Indices: Upgraded Poland from an emerging market to a developed market, while maintaining Egypt's emerging market classification.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Bessenter: We want to return the G20 to its core mission. That mission is to explore what countries can do, what economies can do, and how we can work together to achieve better global growth. Our message to allies and trading partners is that global growth is the way to get rid of this mountain of debt.

Musk: One day, Optimus and Grok will provide extraordinary medical services to everyone on Earth.

According to Iranian media Fars News: Israeli fighter jets entered Lebanese airspace and Israel launched an airstrike on the Ali Taher Heights in southern Lebanon.

The China Earthquake Networks Center officially reported that a magnitude 3.1 earthquake occurred at 05:01 on August 21 in Haiyuan County, Zhongwei City, Ningxia (36.58 degrees north latitude, 105.37 degrees east longitude), with a focal depth of 14 kilometers.

According to filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Sean Lie, an executive at artificial intelligence company Cerebras (CBRS.O), plans to sell $153.19 million worth of company stock.

The White House: By 2030, U.S. space transportation capabilities must be improved to support more than 1,000 launches and reentry flights per year.

White House: US President Trump signed a memorandum to facilitate US space launches.

August 21 – According to sources familiar with the matter, Broadcom (AVGO.O) is in talks with a group of lenders to raise more than $60 billion in debt financing for an AI chip deal that would benefit companies like Anthropic. The sources indicated that the financing plan is still being finalized and may include approximately $30 billion in subordinated debt. Several sources stated that under the proposed plan, Broadcom would guarantee a portion of the senior secured debt, potentially amounting to between $60 billion and $70 billion. Based on the current discussions, the total financing could reach as high as $100 billion. This agreement would further fuel the financing boom surrounding AI infrastructure development. AI companies, including Anthropic, are increasingly involved in infrastructure construction, seeking to ensure they have sufficient computing power. Meanwhile, Broadcom is also seeking to expand its sales of chips and other data center equipment, challenging Nvidia in this lucrative market.

On August 21, the U.S. State Department announced on August 20 that it had approved a potential arms sale to Qatar, including aerial refueling tankers and related equipment, with a total estimated value of up to $4.5 billion. In a statement, the State Department said Qatar had offered to purchase up to four KC-46A aerial refueling tankers, along with engines, radar warning receivers, infrared countermeasures systems, and other related accessories and services. The statement said the sale would help enhance the security capabilities of “U.S. strategic regional partners,” thereby supporting U.S. foreign policy and national security objectives; it would also strengthen Qatar’s defense capabilities and its interoperability with U.S. and allied forces, and solidify Qatar’s strategic role in regional security. The KC-46A is the latest type of tanker aircraft in service with the U.S. Air Force, developed by Boeing based on the Boeing 767 passenger aircraft. The first aircraft was delivered to the U.S. Air Force in January 2019. According to Boeing, in addition to aerial refueling support, the aircraft possesses the operational capabilities and data transmission functions required for a multi-mission tanker.

Market news: Blackstone Group (BX.N) and Apollo Corporation are in talks to participate in chip financing.

According to CNBC, Hyundai's CEO said the company will increase U.S. production capacity at its new Georgia plant.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed down 700.75 points, or 1.31%, at 52,762.30 on Thursday, August 20; the S&P 500 closed down 66.42 points, or 0.86%, at 7,641.56; and the Nasdaq Composite closed down 263.92 points, or 1.00%, at 26,067.17 on Thursday, August 20.