Economy & Central Bank News — page 16

Japan’s services sector returned to expansion in June, lifting overall private activity, while input costs rose to a four-year high, keeping inflation pressures in focus for the economy.

Mark Zuckerberg acknowledged slower-than-expected AI agent progress even as Meta rolled out its Business Agent across Instagram, Messenger, and WhatsApp worldwide.

A softer-than-expected June jobs report tempered expectations for another Federal Reserve rate hike, sending the dollar lower and lifting futures and international markets as investors reassess monetary tightening prospects.

Reports indicate QTS Data Centers, owned by Blackstone, has scrapped plans for a Virginia data center, a development that could have broader implications for the sector and nearby markets.

Reports detail undisclosed holdings and a late-disclosed stake in Strategy, a government contractor tied to a Bitcoin-related firm, with market impact noted as the investor position reportedly declined

Jersey Mike’s Subs has filed to go public, highlighting strong same-store sales growth and a large national footprint as it aims for a NYSE listing under JMKE

The Treasury disclosed that Trump Accounts will be invested through ETFs from State Street, BlackRock and Vanguard, highlighting Vanguard's small-cap value option for cost considerations

June payrolls expanded far less than expected, while the jobless rate declined, signaling a cooling labor market amid a slower rate of hiring.

Microsoft launches a dedicated AI implementation unit backed by a $2.5 billion commitment and a 6,000-employee team to help customers adopt artificial intelligence.

Rivian raises its 2026 delivery target after solid second-quarter demand, with a new range suggested alongside broader shifts in US vehicle sales expectations

June nonfarm payrolls rose by 57,000, well below expectations, with the unemployment rate reported at 4.2%, prompting market reassessment of Fed rate-hike timing

As traders await key US employment figures, Canadian futures and European equities tread higher, with defensive names lifting sentiment amid easing momentum in AI-driven tech gains.

In a CNBC interview, Robinhood chief Vlad Tenev discussed the potential for AI-powered trading agents to reach the capabilities of human traders.

Nasdaq reports SpaceX’s IPO includes a 366-day lockup on Elon Musk’s shares, while Investing.com notes Musk rebutting claims of an AI handset prototype shown before the IPO, underscoring tension between the company’s private cash strategy and public narrative.

Fans sue StubHub over cancelled tickets, political ties surface, and analysts weigh the World Cup's potential labor-market impact alongside broadcaster strains.

Prominent tech analyst Dan Ives is leaving Wedbush to launch a new venture described as a modern merchant bank focused on AI-enabled technology and advisory services.

Fed Chair Warsh indicated inflation risks have eased and reaffirmed a commitment to the 2% target, while bitcoin pressured higher toward $60,000 amid AI and policy questions.

The US ISM manufacturing index eased to 53.3 in June from 54.0, staying in expansion but showing softer output and export orders alongside a sharp drop in the prices-paid gauge to 73.0, signaling cooling cost inflation.

The North American auto industry faces renewed uncertainty as the US holds out for changes to the USMCA trade pact while Canada and Mexico push to preserve it, with the deal's rules of origin the key sticking point.

At the ECB's Sintra forum, Fed Chair Kevin Warsh declined to signal a July rate decision, called inflation still too high and repeated his dislike of forward guidance, leaving markets to lean on incoming data.

Sony will discontinue the production of physical discs for new PlayStation games starting in 2028, ending a long-running format as the company shifts toward digital distribution

At the ECB Forum in Sintra, Christine Lagarde indicated an outlook supportive of rate increases, while discussions at the gathering included views on rate paths and potential central banking reforms, with participation from global policymakers including a former Fed official.

Private payrolls in June rose modestly, according to ADP, undershooting expectations and showing a shift in hiring toward healthcare and other sectors, with broader sector detail underscoring a softer overall pace.

Markets are bracing for the Fed chair's first major appearance since the hawkish June meeting and a US June jobs report expected to show slower hiring, two events that could either extend the dollar's run to multi-month highs or challenge it.

Softer inflation readings from Germany, France and Italy have cooled ECB rate-hike expectations, weighing on the euro, as markets await the euro-area flash CPI expected to ease to about 3.0% headline and 2.5% core.

Evidence is mounting that AI's near-term job impact was overstated: some employers that cut staff citing AI are rehiring, and a Ramp study found the heaviest AI spenders grew headcount about 10% and entry-level hiring about 12%.

Japan's manufacturing sector extended its growth streak to six months in June, while China's official and private PMIs showed divergent momentum and Australia reported a sharp drop in building permits, underscoring mixed regional activity.

Second-quarter surge in chip shares lifted combined market value of Micron, Intel and AMD by about $2 trillion as the AI boom broadened to more suppliers.

Blue Origin plans a shift to a hybrid launch approach and redesigned pad configuration following a rocket incident, with aims to resume flights by late 2026.

Cleveland Fed President Beth Hammack, a voting FOMC member, said insatiable demand for AI data-center infrastructure is helping fuel inflation and that rates may need to rise if price pressures persist — a view at odds with Chair Kevin Warsh's that AI will prove disinflationary.