World Finance Updates

① Governments are planning to enhance oil reserve capacity due to the Hormuz Strait crisis, which may support oil prices in the short to medium term. ② Energy-importing countries in the Asia-Pacific region, such as India and Australia, are seeking to build new reserve capacity to improve energy security. ③ The total demand to fill

On June 23 local time, the International Maritime Organization announced the launch of an evacuation plan for stranded seafarers in the Strait of Hormuz region. IMO Secretary-General Dominguez stated, “This large-scale operation will be carried out in close cooperation with Iran, Oman, all other coastal states in the region, the United States, and the maritime

① MSCI released the results of its 2026 Market Classification Review, and South Korea remains classified as an “Emerging Market,” failing to enter the Developed Markets watch list. ② South Korea’s stock market has risen nearly 170% over the past 12 months, but MSCI believes that the limited convertibility of the Korean won in offshore

① According to a report from S&P Global, the scale of layoffs among US manufacturing enterprises has approached the highest level since the end of the 2009 global financial crisis, primarily driven by heightened concerns over global demand and rising costs. ② Notably, economic growth momentum remains weak: US annualized economic growth in the first

① AI startup Anthropic has shut down access to its cutting-edge models Fable 5 and Mythos 5 in response to a US government export control order, sparking ongoing controversy. ② Anthropic customer Legion has sued the US government, claiming the ban has caused irreparable harm to its business. ③ Some experts are calling for the

① Oman and Iran have agreed to establish a joint working group to reach an agreement on the future navigation management of the Strait of Hormuz, ensuring navigational safety in the strait. ② The two sides will consult with other coastal states and stakeholders in the Persian Gulf on strait-related issues, emphasizing that all arrangements

① Following Goldman Sachs and Deutsche Bank, another international investment bank has lowered its gold price target. ② BMO Capital Markets expects gold to average about $4,625 per ounce in the second half of this year, a 5% downward revision from its previous forecast. ③ BMO noted that as the market begins to actively price

U.S. President Donald Trump stated that revenue obtained by the United States from selling oil shipped out of Venezuela has exceeded 28 times the amount spent on military operations in that country in January 2026. In early January of this year, the United States launched an attack on Caracas, took control of Venezuelan President Maduro

① Following the signing of a memorandum of understanding between Iran and the United States on the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, shipping volume in the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf region is gradually recovering. ② Tanker freight rates have soared sharply. The average daily cost for a Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC)

① The Federal Reserve has shifted notably hawkish, international gold prices continue to hover at low levels, and major Wall Street banks have successively lowered their gold price targets. ② Jerry Prior, CEO of Mount Lucas Management hedge fund, believes that despite short-term headwinds, the recent gold correction offers investors an attractive entry point. June