Dow Jones Top Markets Headlines at 1 AM ET: Korean Stock Surge Leads Asian Rally on Renewed AI Enthusiasm | Bank ...

Korean Stock Surge Leads Asian Rally on Renewed AI Enthusiasm

South Korean stocks jumped 17%, leading the region's equity markets higher, as chip and technology shares climbed.

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Bank of Japan Stands Pat, Continues to See Inflation Around 2%

The Bank of Japan kept monetary policy unchanged Friday as it assesses how its latest interest-rate increase is affecting the economy and price trends.

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China's Factory Activity Gauge Unexpectedly Signals Contraction

The official manufacturing purchasing managers index signaled a contraction in activity for the first time in five months, raising pressure on Beijing to support growth.

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Iran War Piles on Inflation Pressure But BOE Follows the Fed

U.K. inflation slid to 2.6% in June due to lower energy and food costs.

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Kevin Warsh's Honeymoon With the Bond Market Is Already Over

Investors warned that the Fed must show commitment to inflation fight after Wednesday's selloff.

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Japanese Yen Jumps to 2-Month High Versus Dollar in Possible Intervention

The yen gained 3% against the dollar, raising the prospect that the Japanese government has intervened to prop up the currency after officials stepped up verbal warnings against speculative moves that threaten to accelerate inflation in Japan.

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Diesel Back in Spotlight as Middle East Conflict Escalates

A global shortage of diesel, made worse by Ukrainian attacks on Russian refineries and lower Chinese refinery runs, has kept prices rising with implications for economies and inflation.

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U.S. Economic Growth Slowed to 1.5% in Second Quarter

U.S. gross domestic product rose at a 1.5% annual rate in the second quarter, falling short of economists' expectations.

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Fed's Preferred Inflation Index Cooled but Remained Elevated in June

The price index of personal-consumption expenditures cooled in June but remains well above the Fed's 2% target.

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Mortgage Rates Jump to a One-Year High

Four straight weeks of rising mortgage rates pushed the 30-year borrowing rate this week to 6.66%.

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U.S. Jobless Claims Rebound After Streak of Declines

The number of people who filed for unemployment benefits was 197,000 in the week through July 25, 9,000 higher than the upwardly revised 188,000 reported a week earlier, the Labor Department said.

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Eurozone Economy Outpaces U.S. Despite Iran War Uncertainty

Economies across the eurozone have proved more resilient than feared in the face of continued supply-chain disruptions and higher energy prices.

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Why Higher Tariffs Are Becoming the New Normal for Business

Many executives expect duties to outlast the Trump administration, warning the next president might find it hard to backtrack.

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EU Opens Call for Creation of Local AI Gigafactories

The tender will support up to seven AI facilities in an effort to build out the bloc's tech capabilities.

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

July 31, 2026 01:15 ET (05:15 GMT)