Real-time News

On June 17th, Jarden economists warned that the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) cannot accelerate the natural decline of inflation by adjusting interest rates. In their research report, they pointed out that the composition of inflation is more important than its level, and they expect core inflation to remain above 3% until the second half of 2027. They noted that the main reason for the significantly higher-than-expected inflation rate is not an overheated domestic economy, but rather related to fuel costs, which are beyond the control of officials or politicians. This situation should ease as the situation in the Middle East normalizes, but Jarden's core concern is the extent to which cost pressures will affect Australian goods and services.

June 17th - According to a Wall Street Journal survey of economists, 10 out of 12 believe the Philippine central bank is likely to raise its policy rate by 25 basis points to 4.75% on Thursday. Economists at Capital Economics noted in a report that the Philippines is one of the Asian economies most severely affected by the energy shock, and inflation has exceeded the central bank's target range in recent months. The firm added that while inflation concerns may prompt the central bank to raise rates, it will also consider economic weakness in its decision-making. Two economists predict a larger rate hike, reaching 50 basis points. HSBC analyst Aris Dacanay believes the rate hike could be even larger given the central bank's price stability target.

Gold rose in early Asian trading on June 17th. Zaheer Anwari, CEO of The Revacy Fund, stated that improved market confidence, driven by easing concerns about energy supply disruptions, inflation, and interest rates, created a more favorable environment for gold. Traders are closely watching the decisions of several central banks this week. While the Bank of Japan's rate hike supported Japanese bond yields and may limit gold's upside, investors expect the Federal Reserve to keep rates unchanged. If the Fed's updated economic and inflation forecasts remain positive, it could further boost gold prices. Furthermore, continued central bank position building will provide strong structural support. Anwari believes gold prices will find stable support around $4,000 per ounce.

Goldman Sachs: We expect liquefied natural gas flows to return to normal by the end of July, later than our previous expectation of the end of June.

On June 17, the People's Bank of China (PBOC) announced that it will issue the sixth tranche of central bank bills for 2026 through the Hong Kong Monetary Authority's Central Moneymarkets Unit (CMU) bond bidding platform on June 22, 2026 (Monday). The sixth tranche of central bank bills has a maturity of 6 months (182 days), is a fixed-rate interest-bearing bond, and will be repaid with principal and interest at maturity. The issuance amount is RMB 40 billion, the interest accrual date is June 24, 2026, and the maturity date is December 23, 2026. The maturity date will be postponed if it falls on a public holiday.

On Wednesday, June 17, the Hang Seng Index opened 1.9 points higher, or 0.01%, at 24,495.85; the Hang Seng Tech Index opened 21.87 points lower, or 0.47%, at 4,636.78; the H-share Index opened 5.35 points lower, or 0.06%, at 8,234.7; and the Red Chip Index opened 9.28 points lower, or 0.22%, at 4,240.87.

The People's Bank of China (PBOC) announced today that it conducted 420.3 billion yuan of 7-day reverse repurchase operations, with both the bid and winning bids amounting to 420.3 billion yuan. The operating rate was 1.40%, unchanged from the previous rate.

Hang Seng Index futures opened 0.16% higher at 24,512 points, a premium of 6 points.

June 17th - According to the China State Railway Group, a new train schedule will be implemented nationwide starting from 00:00 on July 1st, further improving transport capacity and efficiency. After the schedule adjustment, 12,174 scheduled passenger trains will be available nationwide, an increase of 106 trains compared to the current schedule. Utilizing the soon-to-be-opened Xi'an-Xi'an high-speed railway (Xi'an East to Shiyan East section), 58 high-speed trains will be scheduled to run from Xi'an East (Xi'an North) to Nanyang East, Hankou, Chongqing North, and other destinations, further strengthening connections between Northwest China and Central, South, and Southwest China, and shortening travel time.

On June 17th, SK Hynix announced that it will eliminate all educational requirements and launch a rolling recruitment process for entry-level positions. With increasing competition in the AI semiconductor field, SK Hynix stated that it will now select talent based on actual work ability and growth potential, rather than solely on academic background. Previously, SK Hynix's job postings stipulated that "applicants must have at least a four-year bachelor's degree." With the removal of this requirement, applicants can apply regardless of their educational background, as long as their work experience, job skills, and fit with the company culture meet the requirements of the position.

International oil prices are under pressure as the situation in the Middle East continues to show signs of easing. A quick overview of the pre-market conversion prices of crude oil between domestic and international markets is provided in one chart.

June 17th, Futures News: With further easing of US-Iran relations, crude oil prices may continue to decline. The fuel oil market is also facing bearish news and cost support, leading to cautious buying and selling sentiment among downstream traders. Risk aversion is rising, resulting in sporadic transactions driven by immediate demand. Refinery shipments are sluggish. It is expected that today's trading in slurry oil and wax oil will continue its narrow downward trend. There are currently no new contract guidelines for low-sulfur fuel oil, and negotiations are stalled at high levels. Local refineries' high-sulfur fuel oil still has room for further decline.

The U.S. military says it carried out a deadly strike in the eastern Pacific against a drug-trafficking vessel operated by a “terrorist organization.”

Samsung Electronics shares fell 3%.

Japan's Ministry of Finance: Japan's exports to the EU rose 14.5% year-on-year in May.

Tencent Holdings (00700.HK): Completed issuance of US$2.45 billion and RMB15 billion in notes.

Japan's Ministry of Finance: Japan's exports to the United States rose 12.5% year-on-year in May.

Japan's Ministry of Finance: Japan's crude oil imports in May fell 57.3% year-on-year; liquefied natural gas imports decreased 15.1% year-on-year to 3.96 million tons.