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July 16, 2026 - 00:07
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(Bloomberg) — Stocks in Asia are set to open mixed on Thursday after a US session that saw shares rally on the back of softer-than-anticipated inflation data. Oil opened higher.Equity-index futures pointed to declines in Japan and South Korea while those for Hong Kong and Australia indicated gains. Contracts for the S&P 500 were little changed in early Asia trading following a 0.4% advance Wednesday. The tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 dropped 0.3%.West Texas Intermediate crude edged higher in early trading, after advancing for a third day as the US launched fresh strikes on Iran. The latest wave came at 3 p.m. US Eastern time on Wednesday, US Central Command said.Treasuries gained after producer price inflation was slower than expected in June, prompting traders to further dial back wagers on Federal Reserve interest-rate increases this year, pricing in about three basis points worth of tightening this month — a roughly 10% likelihood of a quarter-point move. The dollar fell for a second day.While inflation reports this week eased concern over near-term Fed hikes, the escalating conflict in the Persian Gulf has revived concerns over energy supplies from the region. The latest attacks come as US President Donald Trump pledged to intensify the bombardment until Tehran stops attacking ships in the Strait of Hormuz and agrees to open the waterway.“There’s no near-term pressure on the Fed, but oil is in the driver’s seat over the longer term,” said David Russell at TradeStation. “Energy saved the day in June, but that might become ancient history if the Strait of Hormuz doesn’t open soon.”Meanwhile, Fed Chairman Kevin Warsh said Trump — who’s long called for slashing interest rates — hasn’t tried to interfere with the central bank, and wouldn’t succeed if he attempted such a thing.“I will tell you what I’ve said to the president repeatedly, and said to the Treasury secretary: They chose an independent guy to do an independent job, and that’s exactly what I plan on doing,” Warsh said.Elsewhere, data from the Fed showed US economic activity increased at a slight to moderate pace in recent weeks as most regions experienced little to no change in employment levels. Prices rose moderately overall, according to the Beige Book survey of regional business contacts.“Some contacts tied these cost increases to the conflict in the Middle East; others mentioned tariffs. Consumer prices continued to rise, and a few districts said contacts saw greater price sensitivity among their customers,” the Fed noted.Corporate Highlights:Anthropic PBC is seeking to meet with investors ahead of its potential mega-IPO, according to people familiar with the matter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. Chief Executive Officer Jamie Dimon said the risks raised by Anthropic’s Mythos AI model are a “real issue” that the US government is on top of now. Apple Inc. received long-awaited government approval to roll out Apple Intelligence in China, potentially giving it a boost in the world’s most-competitive smartphone market. Morgan Stanley’s stock traders sailed past Wall Street’s expectations to set another quarterly record, adding to the industry’s second-quarter windfall from buoyant markets and ongoing volatility. Larry Fink’s plan to combine BlackRock Inc.’s significant index fund business with higher-fee active and private markets investments is bearing fruit, with revenue jumping and the firm’s assets hitting a record $15.3 trillion. PayPal Holdings Inc. has been working with advisers to review strategic options, people familiar with the matter said, as Stripe Inc. and private equity firm Advent pursue a $50 billion-plus takeover of the fintech pioneer. What Bloomberg Strategists say…“Semis staged a constructive recovery after another bruising start, but the SOX still ended lower by roughly 2%. Whether that bounce has any durability remains an open question heading into Asia, where chips will again be under the microscope after several sessions of volatile price action. The sector stabilized today, but conviction remains elusive.”—Brendan Fagan, Macro Strategist, Markets Live. For the full analysis, click here.Some of the main moves in markets:StocksHang Seng futures rose 0.7% as of 7:01 a.m. Tokyo time S&P/ASX 200 futures rose 0.2% Nikkei 225 futures fell 1.8% CurrenciesThe Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index fell 0.3% The euro was little changed at $1.1468 The Japanese yen was little changed at 162.14 per dollar The offshore yuan was little changed at 6.7681 per dollar CryptocurrenciesBitcoin fell 0.2% to $64,788.59 Ether fell 0.2% to $1,918.42 CommoditiesWest Texas Intermediate crude rose 0.6% to $80.07 a barrel Spot gold was little changed This story was produced with the assistance of Bloomberg Automation.©2026 Bloomberg L.P.
