Bloomberg

Lead Story

The US military struck Iranian targets for a second consecutive day, prompting retaliatory strikes against American allies in the Persian Gulf and threatening to derail a fragile ceasefire. The sudden escalation forced shipping traffic through the critical Strait of Hormuz to grind to a near halt, rattling global oil markets and raising the specter of prolonged energy supply disruptions. Oil exporters and marine insurers are now bracing for continued volatility as the tit-for-tat violence casts profound doubt on the prospects for a permanent peace agreement.

Markets & Economics

• SK Hynix’s $26.5 Billion Listing Reopens Asia Route to US Market: The South Korean memory chipmaker priced its US listing at $149 per American depositary receipt, raising $26.5 billion in a blockbuster offering fueled by insatiable investor demand for AI infrastructure.
• German Exports Unexpectedly Increase as US Sales Rebound: German exports unexpectedly rose in May, extending a steady run of growth to a fourth straight month driven largely by a sharp rebound in shipments to the United States.
• US Jobless Claims Little Changed Last Week Amid Low Layoffs: Applications for US unemployment benefits remained steady last week, indicating that corporate layoffs remain limited despite swirling concerns over broader economic headwinds.
• Japan’s Producer Prices Pick Up to Fastest Pace Since Early 2023: Japanese corporate goods prices accelerated in June, providing further evidence of domestic inflationary pressures that strengthen the Bank of Japan’s case for raising interest rates.

Business & Industries

• AstraZeneca Drug Fails to Reduce Deaths in Heart Condition Trial: Shares of AstraZeneca plunged after its gene silencer drug, Wainua, failed a clinical trial aimed at preventing heart problems in patients with a rare and potentially fatal disease.
• Pepsi Sales Growth Misses Estimates as Snack Price Cuts Bite: PepsiCo missed second-quarter organic sales growth estimates and reported a 2% revenue decline in its North American food unit after implementing price cuts of up to 15% on select brands.
• Volkswagen Eyes Halving Model Lineup After Board Impasse: CEO Oliver Blume is pushing to cut the automaker’s sprawling model lineup by up to 50% as part of a sweeping restructuring plan that could close German factories and eliminate as many as 100,000 jobs.
• China’s Top Solar Firm Makes Switch From Silver to Copper: The industry’s largest solar manufacturer has begun replacing expensive silver with copper in its cells to mitigate the soaring precious metal prices that have severely rattled the sector.

Policy & World

• Platner Exit Leaves Maine Democrats With No Obvious Frontrunner: Democrat Graham Platner suspended his US Senate campaign in Maine following a sexual assault allegation, unleashing a chaotic scramble to find a replacement to challenge Republican Senator Susan Collins.
• Australia Agrees to Sell Uranium to India During Modi Visit: Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese agreed to supply uranium to India for power generation, marking a landmark deal signed during Indian PM Narendra Modi’s high-profile visit to Melbourne.
• Trump’s Latest Power Play Threatens US Housing Relief Bill: The bipartisan 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act is poised to become law this weekend, provided President Trump refrains from a disruptive veto that could severely complicate midterm prospects for Republicans.

Opinion & Analysis

• Hedge Fund Gilt Risks Are Best Managed in Markets: The Bank of England is loosening rules to allow banks to lend more to hedge funds just as borrowing soars across AI and government debt trades, unnecessarily inflating the risk of a cross-market blowup.
• Stop Chasing a ‘Magic Number’ for Retirement: Fixating on a specific target dollar amount for retirement is a deeply flawed strategy that distracts individuals from building a sustainable, realistic post-career financial plan.
• Andy Burnham Can Set Fire to Starmer and Reeves’ Red Lines: With Andy Burnham effectively securing the path to become the UK’s next prime minister, he has the political latitude to abandon Keir Starmer’s 2024 manifesto pledges and focus entirely on what will win the 2029 election.