News

US-listed storage stocks weakened in pre-market trading, with SK Hynix (SKHY.O) and Micron Technology (MU.O) down 3.4%, SanDisk (SNDK.O) down 4.2%, and Western Digital (WDC.O) down 2.9%.

Pinduoduo (PDD.O) will release its second-quarter earnings report on Monday. According to a FactSet survey of nine analysts, second-quarter net profit is expected to be 24.4 billion yuan (approximately US$3.62 billion), lower than the 30.75 billion yuan in the same period last year; revenue is expected to be 115.41 billion yuan, higher than the 103.985 billion yuan in the same period last year. Citigroup analysts predict that Pinduoduo's adjusted net profit in the second quarter will decline by 28% year-on-year, focusing on whether weak online marketing revenue and non-operating income will again impact revenue and profit performance. Deutsche Bank believes that the company's fundamentals have not yet bottomed out, and there are no obvious catalysts in the short term. Competition from live-streaming e-commerce and social e-commerce poses a challenge to its market position. Its subsidiary Temu faces regulatory pressure in Europe, and the company has long lacked stable shareholder returns and sufficient transparency in information disclosure.

Alibaba (BABA.N) shares fell 4% in pre-market trading.

Russian authorities say a Ukrainian drone strike in Russia’s Belgorod region has killed two people and injured two others.

Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson: Iran will utilize all bilateral capabilities to counter US economic sanctions.

Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson: Just as our defense capabilities have been continuously improved by utilizing past experience, our diplomacy today cannot rely on past tools and methods. The actions pursued by the United States under the guise of "economic warfare" are a typical example of economic terrorism. Any cooperation with the illegal actions of the United States will have serious consequences; because Iran will not be helpless in the face of such actions.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman: Cooperation with the United States on sanctions against Iran will have serious consequences.

The UK Maritime Trade Operations Office: All crew members are safe and no environmental impact has been reported.

The Governor of the Central Bank of Iran stated: "The US has done everything it can in the area of ​​sanctions, and the recent statements have not brought new restrictions or pressure. Today, the enemy claims to be initiating comprehensive sanctions. We want to tell them, what haven't you done yet? We haven't been idle either. Through established plans, there is no problem with foreign exchange supply. We can provide whatever cash any entrepreneur needs."

Hong Kong-listed stocks related to large-scale modeling continued to decline in the afternoon, with MINIMAX-W (00100.HK) falling by 10.94% and Zhipu (02513.HK) dropping by more than 10%.

Although net inflows into US equity funds remain negative and their holding models are at a relatively low 40th percentile, overall market sentiment among retail and institutional investors continues to rise, providing positive support for the broader market in the medium to medium term. Rotation and liquidation continue between "stocks vulnerable to AI" and "core AI stocks"; fund transfers between semiconductors and software have slowed. Healthcare has become a new investment focus; hedge fund positions in the US healthcare sector have not yet rebounded significantly, and healthcare ETF inflows remain positive, indicating further room for improvement in this sector. The European healthcare sector is also viewed favorably until the end of the third quarter, with hedge fund sentiment turning bullish. Other sectors: retail stocks were hit by negative news, and hedge funds have begun shorting again (e.g., global brand companies); while metals and mining have surged over the past month, their holdings do not yet appear overly crowded. European bank stocks have been heavily sold off by hedge funds. (The above views are from a JPMorgan report dated August 21.)

On Saturday, Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, told Iranian state television that Iran is calling on all countries, including its neighbors, not to join the US's "economic war." He said any country that participates in imposing economic restrictions on Iran will be considered an enemy and warned of "hellish" retaliation. Hamidreza Aziz, a researcher on Iran at the Klingendal Institute in the Netherlands, said that Iran appears to be trying to establish deterrence at an earlier stage by signaling that even preparations for an attack against Iran could provoke a response. Aziz stated that two elements are emerging in the new "offensive doctrine": 1) preemptive strikes, aimed at preventing perceived threats from becoming a reality; and 2) asymmetrical retaliation, aimed at increasing the cost of any actual attack. Iran's warning to Gulf states about joining Trump's economic war is essentially an ultimatum to them, and Iran's military and security apparatus is increasingly preparing for a new round of escalation.

The German DAX 30 index opened down 39.55 points, or 0.15%, at 26,089.00 on Monday, August 24th; the UK FTSE 100 index opened down 1.56 points, or 0.01%, at 10,815.00 on Monday, August 24th; the FCHI index opened down 5.02 points, or 0.06%, at 8,479.41 on Monday, August 24th; and the Eurozone... The Stoxx 50 index opened down 19.90 points, or 0.31%, at 6445.75 on Monday, August 24; the Spanish IBEX 35 index opened up 24.25 points, or 0.12%, at 19985.75 on Monday, August 24; and the Italian FTSE MIB index opened down 68.04 points, or 0.13%, at 52600.00 on Monday, August 24.

At midday closing, most domestic futures contracts rose, with container shipping to Europe up over 5%, ethylene glycol (EG) up nearly 5%, coking coal and gold futures up nearly 3%, platinum, soda ash, and caustic soda up over 2%, and propylene and glass up nearly 2%. On the downside, apples, polysilicon, and live pigs fell over 2%, while eggs, rapeseed, paraxylene, rapeseed oil, and PTA fell over 1%.

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister: (Refuting former Israeli Prime Minister Bennett's claim that Iran's military power has been dismantled) To deal with this Iran, the United States needs to launch the "largest financial attack in history" and mobilize "all American institutions and departments"? Is this a victory or a bitter admission of defeat?

Ukrainian President Zelensky: We do not ask the United States to protect us, we only hope that they will provide us with the supplies we need to defend ourselves.

Ukrainian President Zelensky: Urges allies to impose further sanctions on Russia to force it back to the negotiating table.

Hedge fund strategies across various sectors saw returns fall to approximately +0.8% by August 23rd, after exceeding +2% last week. Crowded trading in the US has clearly taken a toll, but there are signs that the worst may be over. More importantly, the total rolling inflow of US hedge funds bottomed out on August 20th and has begun to improve. Since 2018, this indicator has turned positive annually by mid-September, suggesting a seasonal possibility of renewed increases in total positions in the coming weeks. Meanwhile, momentum (quantitative or trend-following strategies that chase highs and lows) has recently experienced a significant drawdown. Historically, returns after deep drawdowns have been significantly more divergent, thus caution is warranted regarding the future direction of momentum. (The above views are from a JPMorgan report dated August 23rd.)

French Finance Minister: Reiterates that the government will do everything possible to get as close as possible to the 5% deficit target.

According to Iran's Fars News Agency, a container ship linked to Iran has successfully crossed the US blockade in the Strait of Hormuz and entered Iranian waters, according to the Superbro platform.