Real-time News

June 22 – Ingenic Semiconductor (03696.HK) announced on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange that its board of directors is pleased to announce that Ingenic Semiconductor has entered into a research and development collaboration with SK Biopharmaceuticals to discover innovative AI-driven drug candidates for neuroimmunological diseases of the central nervous system. Under the terms of the agreement, Ingenic Semiconductor will be eligible to receive an upfront payment of up to US$18 million and near-term milestone payments. The potential total transaction value of this collaboration exceeds US$2.5 billion, covering development, regulatory, and commercialization milestone payments, as well as a single-digit percentage of sales revenue based on net sales after product commercialization.

June 22 - Hans Aite (03378.HK) announced on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange that its board of directors is pleased to announce that, in accordance with the results of FTSE Russell's quarterly review of the FTSE Global Equity Index Series, Hans Aite has been included in the FTSE Global Micro Cap Index. This inclusion will officially take effect after the market closes on June 19, 2026.

Jefferies: Raises its price target for Tesla (TSLA.O) from $350 to $375.

On June 22, the National Bureau of Statistics released unemployment data for May 2026 by age group. In May, the national urban surveyed unemployment rate was 5.1%, the unemployment rate for the urban labor force aged 16-24 was 15.6%, the unemployment rate for the urban labor force aged 25-29 was 7.2%, and the unemployment rate for the urban labor force aged 30-59 was 4.1%.

According to the Financial Times, Ireland has indicated that an EU capital markets agreement is expected to be reached by the end of the year.

Global Chip LOF: Trading in this fund will be suspended from the opening of the market on the afternoon of June 22, 2026 until the market closes on the same day.

The yield on Japan's 20-year government bonds rose 3.5 basis points to 3.600%.

On June 22, Kim Yong-beom, the South Korean presidential policy chief, stated that policymakers need to consider how the benefits of the semiconductor industry boom will spread throughout the entire economic system, warning that historically, excess liquidity has often ended up in the real estate market. Kim pointed out that driven by the global artificial intelligence boom, semiconductor industry profits have soared, and South Korea's nominal economic growth rate has reached its fastest pace in over two decades. Although macroeconomic indicators show the economy has entered an exceptionally strong growth phase, many households and small and medium-sized enterprises have not yet truly felt the benefits. Kim noted that in the first quarter, South Korea's real GDP growth was 3.8%, while real gross domestic income growth reached 13.2%, a significant gap indicating that the rise in chip prices has boosted South Korea's purchasing power far more than the growth in actual output. He stated that most of the resulting income growth has not yet been reflected in the broader economy, but may gradually appear in the coming quarters through bonuses, wage increases, and the repatriation of export revenue, ultimately potentially supporting luxury goods consumption and real estate demand. "Looking back at history, this type of capital has flowed into the real estate market many times, and it's difficult to assume this cycle will be different," Kim added.

June 22 – Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee led a delegation from the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government to Fujian Province today (June 22) to attend the Fujian-Hong Kong High-Level Meeting and the Fifth Fujian-Hong Kong Cooperation Conference. Lee stated that during the visit, several cooperation projects will be signed between Fujian and Hong Kong. The HKSAR delegation will also conduct on-site research, visiting technology companies and cultural projects to learn about Fujian's latest developments in areas such as the digital economy. He expects the visit to be fruitful and to open up broader prospects for Fujian-Hong Kong cooperation.

Australian Agriculture Minister: Tests have confirmed the presence of the H5 avian influenza virus in a second bird found in Western Australia.

June 22 - The State Council Information Office will hold a press conference at 3:00 PM on Tuesday, June 23, 2026. Vice Minister of Commerce Sheng Qiuping, along with relevant officials from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Hangzhou, and Chengdu, will introduce the relevant situation regarding expanding automobile consumption across the entire supply chain and answer questions from reporters.

On June 22, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced that the government will lower subsidized diesel prices starting next month, citing progress made in high-level negotiations between the US and Iran. According to Malaysian media reports, Anwar stated on Sunday, "My announcement of targeted diesel subsidies is not intended to raise prices, but rather to lower them, despite the continued uncertainty in the current situation. Pakistani Prime Minister Shebaz Sharif, who has been coordinating most of the negotiations, has told me he is confident that the Middle East crisis can be eased. Therefore, this will help us stabilize diesel prices."

On June 22nd, TalkTV presenter and commentator Samara Gill harshly criticized British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Chancellor of the Exchequer Reeves, stating that they have destroyed the country and the economy during their tenure. Reeves set a bad precedent upon taking office by falsifying her resume; her tenure at the Bank of England was far shorter than she claimed. She will also be ousted because she is tied to Starmer. In the past 18 months, she and Starmer have ruined the country and the economy. I believe the vast majority of the British public would be very happy to see them leave.

June 22nd – The 4th China Blockchain Expo opened in Beijing on June 22nd. NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang delivered a video address, stating, “The Blockchain Expo focuses on one of the world’s most important systems: the supply chain. The supply chain connects energy, factories, logistics, enterprises, and customers, and ultimately, the entire world. China is one of the world’s leading technology and industrial centers, where engineers excel, developers are agile, and enterprises are growing at an extraordinary scale. Congratulations again on the opening of the 2026 Blockchain Expo, and I wish this expo a complete success!”

Bangladeshi Prime Minister: Agrees to advance free trade agreement negotiations with Malaysia.

Futures Commentary by Everbright Futures: Gold volatility intensified last week, with London spot gold falling by over 1% cumulatively, while domestic SHFE gold rose by over 2% for the week (closed on Friday for the Dragon Boat Festival). Currently, precious metals are caught in the impact of a hawkish FOMC, with the Fed's policy tone for its easing cycle since 2024 undergoing a fundamental shift. The market is beginning to price in one rate hike this year, with expectations as early as September. As a non-interest-bearing asset, gold continues to be pressured by rising interest rates, with London spot gold falling again to around $4150/ounce, further damaging bullish sentiment. However, current gold prices have largely priced in hawkish expectations, and marginal negative momentum is waning. Furthermore, with ongoing US-Iran negotiations, the market is also focused on the Strait of Hormuz navigation issue, which may further release geopolitical pressure. As oil prices decline, if inflation expectations (data) remain stagnant, it could also drive a short-term recovery in the market due to easing concerns about tightening. Overall, gold is maintaining a bottom-range consolidation, further reducing upward expectations. 1. Macroeconomic aspects. The Federal Reserve announced its interest rate decision in the early hours of June 18th Beijing time, maintaining the federal funds rate at 3.50%-3.75% for the fourth consecutive time, with a unanimous vote of 12 in favor and 0 against. However, the real shock came from the "debut" of new Chairman Warsh – the policy statement was significantly streamlined to approximately 130 words, and key forward guidance phrases such as "further adjustments" that had previously hinted at a tendency towards rate cuts were removed. Furthermore, the dot plot showed a sharply hawkish bias; of the 18 officials who submitted forecasts, 9 projected at least one rate hike in 2026, and Warsh himself became the first Fed chairman in 14 years not to submit a dot plot. The Fed significantly raised its 2026 PCE inflation forecast from 2.7% to 3.6%, core PCE from 2.7% to 3.3%, and lowered its GDP growth forecast from 2.4% to 2.2%. 2. Geopolitically, on June 14, Trump announced the "completion" of the US-Iran agreement, and Iran's Supreme National Security Council confirmed that the two sides had finalized the ceasefire memorandum of understanding, which was signed remotely on June 18. However, on June 20, the Iranian military suddenly announced the closure of the Strait of Hormuz due to Israel's continued attacks on Lebanon and the US's failure to fulfill its ceasefire commitments. Although the US insisted that the strait was not closed, this also revealed the "fragility" of the memorandum of understanding. (This content and opinion are for reference only and do not constitute any investment advice.)

Futures News, June 22nd: Aluminum prices continued to fluctuate within a range before the holiday, with limited upside and downside potential. According to Fubao Information monitoring, as of June 18th, the average daily price of A00 aluminum was 23,860 yuan/ton, remaining stable compared to the previous period. Main reasons: Macroeconomic factors mainly revolved around the easing of tensions in the Middle East and the Federal Reserve's interest rate meeting. After key progress in the US-Iran peace talks, the situation stalled again, and the market continued to cautiously assess changes. The market remained cautious ahead of the Fed meeting, which ultimately resulted in stable interest rates, with Warsh's remarks being neutral to hawkish. Furthermore, although the Fed aims to control inflation below 2%, subsequent inflation indicators may exclude the premium for unexpected events, suggesting a possible easing of inflation control pressure. Overall, the pressure on non-ferrous metals is manageable. On the fundamental side, social inventories maintained a steady pace of reduction. Downstream and end-user demand showed significant restocking demand at lower prices, supporting the spot market and causing the basis to continue to narrow. In the future, macroeconomic pressure may ease, and aluminum prices may see a narrow upward trend.

More than 100 companies, including Nestlé and Uber (UBER.N), are calling on governments to make electrification a core part of their economic strategies.

June 22 – At a press conference held today by the Legislative Affairs Commission of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), it was announced that the 68th meeting of the Standing Committee of the 14th NPC has decided that the 23rd session of the Standing Committee of the 14th NPC will be held in Beijing from June 23 to 26. The meeting recommended that the 23rd session of the Standing Committee of the 14th NPC: continue to deliberate on the draft revisions to the Trademark Law, the Certified Public Accountants Law, the Public Interest Litigation Law for Procuratorates, the Antarctic Activities and Environmental Protection Law, and the National Fire and Rescue Personnel Law; deliberate on the motion submitted by the NPC Financial and Economic Affairs Committee to review the draft revision of the Government Procurement Law; and deliberate on the motions submitted by the State Council to review the draft revisions to the Bidding and Tendering Law, the Financial Law, and the Law of the People's Bank of China.