Gold extended its relentless rally to another all-time high as investors seek safety amid policy uncertainty, persistent fiscal worries, and geopolitical risks. Goldman Sachs lifted its 2026 price target to $4,900/oz, underscoring broad-based demand from ETFs, central banks, and retail investors. The melt-up is rippling across miners and precious-metals funds and could complicate central banks’ inflation-fighting optics.
Source: SeekingAlpha
RBNZ shocks markets with 50 bp rate cut to 2.50%, signaling a faster easing cycle
New Zealand’s central bank surprised investors with an outsized 50 bp cut, taking the cash rate to 2.50%, its lowest since 2022. The move, aimed at supporting a cooling economy, sent the kiwi lower and stoked bets that other rate-setters in smaller, open economies could accelerate easing if growth falters.
Source: SeekingAlpha
U.S. lawmakers press for broader China chip-gear ban, putting semi equipment makers in the crosshairs
Members of Congress are urging the administration to expand restrictions on semiconductor manufacturing equipment sales to China, intensifying pressure on Applied Materials, Lam Research and KLA. Any tightening could curb revenue tied to Chinese fabs and reshape global supply chains, while adding a new layer of policy risk to the sector’s capex outlook.
Source: SeekingAlpha
Supreme Court rebuffs Google bid to pause Epic order, keeping pressure on Play Store fees
The U.S. Supreme Court declined Google’s request to freeze parts of a lower court order in its antitrust battle with Epic Games. The decision increases pressure on Google to implement changes to its app store payments and could have broader implications for mobile platform economics across the ecosystem.
Source: SeekingAlpha
FDIC moves to narrow bank exams, proposes dropping “reputation risk” from supervision
The FDIC approved proposals to explicitly define “unsafe or unsound practices” and eliminate the use of “reputation risk” in supervisory exams. Banks view the shift as welcome clarity that could limit subjective findings, while regulators emphasize preserving safety-and-soundness guardrails amid evolving risks.
Source: American Banker
EIA boosts U.S. crude output outlook to 13.5M bpd in 2025–26 despite near-term wobble
The EIA raised its U.S. oil production forecast for 2025–26, highlighting resilient shale productivity even as it expects a temporary output dip. A stronger supply profile could temper medium-term crude prices, with implications for producer capex, refining margins, and energy-sensitive inflation gauges.
Source: SeekingAlpha
Cboe wins approval to list IPOs in Australia, ending ASX’s monopoly
Australia’s regulator cleared Cboe to list new companies, introducing long-awaited competition to the nation’s listings market. The move could lower issuer costs, broaden investor access, and catalyze innovation in market structure as Cboe challenges the ASX’s long-standing dominance.
Source: FinanceFeeds
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