Real-time News

Futures News, May 5th - According to foreign media reports, Malaysian palm oil futures rose for the second consecutive trading day, supported by a weaker ringgit and market optimism regarding Malaysia's biodiesel program. However, declines in crude oil and soybean oil prices limited further upside. On the Bursa Malaysia Derivatives Exchange (BMD), the benchmark palm oil contract for July delivery steadily rose in early trading. In the crude oil market, prices, which had previously surged sharply, retreated significantly due to signs of potential easing in the situation regarding the blockade of key Middle Eastern waterways. The weakening of crude oil futures prices directly reduced the attractiveness of palm oil as a substitute for biodiesel feedstock.

On May 5th, it was reported that Apple (AAPL.O) has held exploratory discussions with Intel and Samsung Electronics regarding the production of main processors for its devices. According to sources familiar with the matter, Apple has held initial talks with Intel about using the company's chip manufacturing services. Meanwhile, Apple executives have also visited a Samsung advanced chip factory under construction in Texas. The sources indicated that neither effort has yet generated any orders, and the collaboration with these two suppliers remains in its very early stages. The sources added that Apple has concerns about using technology outside of TSMC and may ultimately not actually partner with other companies. Spokespeople for Apple, Intel, Samsung, and TSMC declined to comment.

Israel Defense Forces: In two separate incidents over the past few hours, Hezbollah fired several mortar shells at areas where the IDF is operating in southern Lebanon. No IDF personnel have been reported injured.

On May 5th, State Street Global Advisors strategists stated in a report that gold prices are likely to rise as long as market consensus and the Federal Reserve's forward guidance point to future easing policies. Currency markets and forex traders may be awaiting a viable (US-Iran) peace agreement to re-pricing in Fed rate cuts. They believe that gold can perform well even if the Fed keeps rates unchanged, provided forward guidance indicates an imminent rate cut. However, a continued hawkish shift in the monetary policy outlook could create headwinds for gold, at least in the short term. Furthermore, if oil prices remain at $100 per barrel, becoming the new normal, it could limit gold's upward momentum towards $5,000 per ounce.

Fitch Ratings: Iranian conflict widens profit gap among Asia-Pacific chemical producers.

On May 5th, the highest 7-day annualized yield of Tencent Wealth Management's "Current Account +" was 1.0680%, and the lowest was 0.9850%. The highest 7-day annualized yield of WeChat Pay's "Lingqian Tong" was 1.1356%, and the lowest was 1.0681%. The highest 7-day annualized yield of Alipay's "Yu'ebao" was 1.1080%, and the lowest was 0.9730%.

National Australia Bank: The Reserve Bank of Australia's cash rate is expected to peak at around 4.6%.

Futures News, May 5th - According to foreign media reports, soybean futures on the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) closed higher on Monday, with the benchmark contract rising 1.62%, reaching a seven-week high, driven by escalating geopolitical conflicts in the Middle East that pushed crude oil prices sharply higher, and strong domestic soybean crushing demand in the United States. International crude oil futures surged about 6% on Monday due to escalating tensions between the United States and Iran in the Strait of Hormuz. As soybean oil is an important feedstock for biofuels, the rise in crude oil prices drove soybean oil contracts to new highs, boosting soybean futures prices. Analysts pointed out that the rise in the energy market continues to dominate soybean price movements, as it helps boost the demand outlook for soybeans as a renewable fuel feedstock. Domestic soybean crushing data in the United States also provided fundamental support. US soybean crushing volume in March was 227.4 million bushels, higher than 206.8 million bushels in the same period last year. Cumulative crushing volume for the 2025/26 marketing year so far has reached 1.65 billion bushels, an increase of 8.5% year-on-year.

The Indonesian rupiah fell further in early trading, hitting a record low of 17,390 against the US dollar.

May 5th - Markets widely expect the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) to raise interest rates again after its May 5th meeting. However, ANZ analysts believe that after the May rate hike, the RBA will shift to a more neutral stance, providing more room to wait and observe the full impact of the Middle East conflict on inflation. The wording in the bank's post-meeting statement will be more skewed, opening the door to extending the pause in rate hikes. Even if the RBA raises rates as expected in May, it still believes the cash rate will remain at 4.35% (future). Although RBA Governor Bullock did not explicitly hint at further rate hikes, she maintained a generally hawkish tone regarding keeping policy restrained. Recent signs of continued tightness in the Australian labor market also provide the RBA with more room to raise rates.

May 5th - According to a report by the Iranian Students' News Agency on May 4th, in response to US President Trump's plan to "guide" ships stranded in the Strait of Hormuz to leave, Ibrahim Rezaei, spokesperson for the Iranian Parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, stated that if Iran wants to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, it must either accept defeat and reach an agreement recognizing Iran's dominance over the strait, or return to the battlefield and bear further consequences.

May 5th - According to China Railway Shanghai Bureau Group Co., Ltd., May 5th is the last day of the May Day holiday, and the Yangtze River Delta railway is experiencing its peak return passenger flow, with an estimated 4.28 million passengers transported that day. In addition to implementing the peak-hour train schedule, the railway department plans to add 469 passenger trains, double-unitize 289 high-speed trains, and add 89 carriages to regular passenger trains to fully meet the travel needs of passengers returning home.

On Tuesday, May 5, the Hang Seng Index opened down 150.13 points, or 0.58%, at 25,945.75; the Hang Seng Tech Index opened down 27.58 points, or 0.55%, at 4,949.12; the H-share Index opened down 38.04 points, or 0.43%, at 8,736.35; and the Red Chip Index opened down 8.68 points, or 0.2%, at 4,402.56.

Euro Stoxx 50 futures fell 0.4%, FTSE 100 futures fell 0.9%, and DAX futures fell 0.5%.

May 5th - As the holiday draws to a close, the railway system is experiencing a peak in return passenger traffic, with passenger flow remaining high. According to the China State Railway Group, the national railway system is expected to transport 23 million passengers today, with 2,225 additional passenger trains planned. Yesterday, the national railway system transported 20.383 million passengers, with transportation remaining safe, stable, and orderly.

Hang Seng Index futures opened down 0.5% at 25,891 points, a discount of 197 points.

On May 5th, following the release of Shenzhen's new housing policy, the market responded positively. According to data from Leyoujia, on May 1st, the number of new home viewings at Leyoujia stores in Shenzhen increased by 31% year-on-year, and secondhand home viewings increased by 58% year-on-year; secondhand home sales contracts saw a significant increase of 114% year-on-year. This change in market transaction volume is also reflected in official Shenzhen data. According to data from the Shenzhen Municipal Housing and Construction Bureau, on April 30th, the day after the new policy was released, 130 new home purchase contracts were signed online in Shenzhen, marking the highest single-day signing volume in nearly ten months. On the evening of May 3rd, the Longhu Guancuiyuan project held on-site selection for its first batch of 92 four-bedroom units (approximately 103 square meters and 138 square meters) sold out in just 40 minutes, even the model units were sold out. The average selling price was approximately 35,000 yuan per square meter, making it the first "sold-out on the first day" property in Guangming District in 2026.

May 5th - The China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing (CFLP) released the April China Bulk Commodity Price Index today (May 5th). The index showed that, influenced by improved supply and demand in some domestic industries and external factors, the index continued to rise in April, although the increase was narrower than the previous month, indicating that the bulk commodity market remained generally stable and continued its positive development trend. The April China Bulk Commodity Price Index was 132.1 points, up 1.7% month-on-month and 20.2% year-on-year. Among the 50 key bulk commodities monitored by the CFLP, 38 saw month-on-month price increases in April. Paraxylene, methanol, and polypropylene saw the largest increases, rising by 22.4%, 14.5%, and 11.8% respectively compared to the previous month.

According to the Wall Street Journal, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman discussed spinning off the company’s robotics and consumer hardware division late last year.