Market Information Monday 03 August 2026

The United States and Japan confirmed a rare coordinated yen-buying intervention on Friday, after the currency hit its weakest level in roughly four decades at 163.73 per dollar before recovering to 157.57. Both Tokyo and Washington signalled readiness to act again, with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stating the US would “not hesitate to participate in further joint intervention.” Reports that the US sold euros rather than dollars to fund the operation drew scepticism from analysts, who warned the unconventional approach could undermine confidence in the intervention’s effectiveness.

Blowout earnings from US energy majors underscored the windfall the Iran war delivered to oil investors, with ExxonMobil’s quarterly profit doubling to 14.5 billion dollars and Chevron’s net income rising close to 400%. Oil-related ETFs have been among the biggest beneficiaries, with the US Oil Fund returning 87% year-to-date as crude averaged over 92 dollars a barrel in the second quarter. Analysts caution that geopolitics-driven gains are difficult to sustain, with prices already falling more than 5% last week on ceasefire hopes, and recommend diversified energy exposure including natural gas and nuclear for long-term investors.

South Korean stocks led regional losses on Friday, with the Kospi tumbling 5.54% as semiconductor heavyweights Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix dropped 6.4% and 9.9% respectively, following a tech-driven sell-off on Wall Street overnight. The slump was triggered by Broadcom missing revenue estimates, sparking a broader rotation out of AI-linked chip stocks. Broader Asian markets also fell, though more modestly, with Japan’s Nikkei down 1.3% and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng losing 1.1%.

The 6M Euribor is unchanged at 2.68% compared to previous business day. The 10Y Swap increased with 6 basis points to 3.24% compared to previous business day.

In the attachment, today’s market data on money and capital market rates as well as other rates are presented.