Real-time News

According to RIA Novosti, the Russian Ministry of Defense stated that Russian troops attacked a ship carrying military cargo bound for a port near Odessa, Ukraine.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk once again denied the sale of Tesla's China business on social media, stating, "This has never even been mentioned or discussed. This is completely ridiculous fake news."

Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry reported that crude oil imports in Japan rose 5.9% year-on-year in June, while total sales of petroleum products fell 7.9% year-on-year, gasoline sales fell 7.1% year-on-year, and kerosene sales fell 14.9% year-on-year.

On July 31, Unisound (09678.HK) announced that it recently won the bid for the Modular Space project funded by a Nanning municipal platform company. Furthermore, the company subsequently secured another municipal-level AI public platform project in Xiamen. The total contract value of these two landmark municipal projects exceeds RMB 20 million.

TD Cowen raised its price target for Apple (AAPL.O) from $350 to $400.

July 31 – The Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee held its 27th collective study session on the afternoon of July 30, focusing on high-quality advancement of national defense and military modernization. Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee, emphasized during the session that during the 15th Five-Year Plan period, it is essential to adhere to the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, thoroughly implement Xi Jinping Thought on Strengthening the Military in the New Era, strengthen political leadership, deepen innovative development, and advance high-quality modernization of national defense and the armed forces. This will ensure the timely achievement of the centenary goal of the People's Liberation Army, promote decisive progress in the basic realization of national defense and military modernization, and provide strong strategic support for comprehensively advancing the building of a strong nation and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation through Chinese-style modernization.

Investment bank Davidson lowered its price target for Roblox (RBLX.N) from $45 to $40.

July 31 - Capital Economics has withdrawn its forecast for a further rate hike by the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) next month, stating that this week's second-quarter CPI data was sufficiently mild to convince the RBA that policy has tightened enough. Capital Economics economist Abhijit Surya said that despite this, the path to a decline in inflation may be bumpy. Coupled with the sluggish housing sector, Surya now expects the RBA's next move to be a rate cut, though not before the second half of 2027.

In response to reports that Tesla (TSLA.O) is considering selling its China business to pave the way for a potential merger with SpaceX, Tesla CEO Elon Musk stated, "That's fake news."

Sony's stock price rose 2% after the company released its financial report, reversing its earlier decline.

On July 31, the Bank of Japan (BOJ) continued to warn that core inflation could exceed its 2% target and pledged to continue raising borrowing costs based on economic and price trends. The bank also adjusted its assessment of the balance of risks to economic growth, stating that risks are in equilibrium rather than tilted to the downside. This suggests that the drag from the Middle East conflict is not as severe as initially feared, as the growth in global demand for artificial intelligence has acted as a buffer, mitigating the impact. Overall, the BOJ's statements indicate that a continued weakening of the yen could exacerbate inflationary pressures, thus a further interest rate adjustment is expected. Investors are increasing their expectations that the BOJ will raise interest rates before October, and BOJ Governor Kazuo Ueda may provide clues to support this view at his press conference this afternoon.

July 31st - The Bank of Japan (BOJ) kept interest rates unchanged on Friday, with only one voice supporting a rate hike. Meanwhile, in its monetary policy outlook report, the BOJ lowered its inflation forecast for the current fiscal year. Friday's decision came amid escalating tensions in the Middle East. For oil-dependent Japan, inflation concerns remain. However, the central bank plans to further monitor the situation, especially after the June rate hike. On Thursday, Japan intervened in the foreign exchange market by buying yen and dollars, while US authorities also conducted currency checks. Now, all eyes are on BOJ Governor Kazuo Ueda's afternoon press conference, hoping to glean clues about the central bank's future policy direction and any commentary on the intervention.

Piper Jaffray: Lowered its price target for Reddit (RDDT.O) from $215 to $195.

On July 31, at a press conference held today, the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT), representing the Chinese business community, responded to the EU's efforts to accelerate the draft amendments to the Cybersecurity Act and the EU's Industrial Accelerator Act. We urge the EU to fully consider the opinions of the global business community in the subsequent legislative process and to prudently assess the impact of the relevant legislation on Sino-EU business cooperation, the EU's own industrial development, and the stability of the global supply chain. We call on the EU to adhere to the principles of technological neutrality and performance orientation, to delete or substantially modify rules and arrangements that are country-specific or discriminatory, and to effectively safeguard the common interests of existing investments and the common interests of future Sino-EU cooperation. Chinese enterprises are important partners in Europe's digital transformation and industrial upgrading. The Chinese business community is willing to continue to strengthen cooperation with the EU to jointly promote cybersecurity governance and green economic development, maintain an open, fair, and non-discriminatory market environment, and jointly ensure the stability and smooth operation of global industrial and supply chains.

Bank of Japan: From the perspective of supporting Japan's growth-oriented investment expansion, it is crucial to achieve price stability through the appropriate implementation of monetary policy.

Bank of Japan: The Japanese economy is likely to continue to grow moderately, albeit at a slower pace.

The Bank of Japan stated that the impact of rising import prices warrants close attention, as it is expected to push up prices for various goods, including durable goods.

Bank of Japan: Upward pressure on wages and prices may be stronger than the output gap suggests.