News

Euro Stoxx 50 futures fell 0.3%, German DAX futures fell 0.3%, and UK FTSE 100 futures rose 0.1%.

U.S. stock index futures weakened, with S&P 500 futures down 0.2% and Nasdaq futures down 0.4%.

Hong Kong stocks' two major MINIMAX-W stocks declined, with Zhipu (02513.HK) falling more than 10% and MINIMAX-W (00100.HK) falling more than 8%.

NI225 fell by 1.00% within the day.

The Hang Seng Index (HSI) opened down 84.36 points, or 0.33%, at 25368.87 on Tuesday, August 18th; the Hang Seng Tech Index opened down 13.22 points, or 0.28%, at 4768.81 on Tuesday, August 18th; the Hang Seng China Enterprises Index opened down 24.59 points, or 0.29%, at 8415.38 on Tuesday, August 18th; and the Hang Seng Red Chip Index opened up 0.91 points, or 0.02%, at 4162.39 on Tuesday, August 18th.

Hong Kong stocks opened lower, with the Hang Seng Index down 0.33% and the Tech Index down 0.28%. Chow Sang Sang (00116.HK) opened 11% higher, expecting interim attributable profit of HK$2.1 billion to HK$2.2 billion.

The yield on Japan's 20-year government bonds rose 2.5 basis points to 3.835%.

Crop survey by Pro Farmer, a subsidiary of Farm Futures magazine, predicts that the average number of soybean pods in South Dakota will be 945.98 in 2026, compared to 1188.45 in 2025.

ProFarmer, a subsidiary of Farm Futures magazine, projects South Dakota corn yields of 149.09 bushels per acre in 2026 and 174.18 bushels per acre in 2025.

ProFarmer, a subsidiary of Farm Futures magazine, projects an average of 1,197.25 soybean pods in Ohio in 2026, compared to 1,287.28 pods in 2025.

ProFarmer, a subsidiary of Farm Futures magazine, projects Ohio corn yields at 180.18 bushels per acre in 2026 and 185.69 bushels per acre in 2025.

The yield on Japan's 30-year government bonds rose 4.5 basis points to 4.12%.

Australia's Westpac/Melbourne Consumer Confidence Index for August was 88.9, compared to 83.9 previously.

Australia's Westpac/Melbourne Consumer Confidence Index rose 6% month-on-month in August, down from 4.10% previously.

Market sources: South Korea has denied reports that it is discussing making semiconductors its first US investment.

Australia's S&P/ASX 200 index opened down 8.00 points, or 0.09%, at 9065.20 on Tuesday, August 18.

The yield on Japan's 5-year government bonds rose 2 basis points to 2.18%, a record high.

Alphabet is offering Australian dollar bonds in four maturities, including a 20-year tranche, seeking about AUD 5 bln (~$3.6 bln), sources said. The move follows Alphabet raising its full-year capital expenditure forecast to as much as $205 bln, renewing focus on how big tech will monetize AI investments. Alphabet is second only to Amazon among U.S. corporates in tapping global debt markets to finance AI projects. The company also plans bond issues in 2026 in CHF, GBP, EUR, CAD and JPY.

The NI225 opened down 375.98 points, or 0.54%, at 68,844.27 on Tuesday, August 18.

ANZ Bank: Australian consumer confidence rose 1.5 points to 76.5, the highest level since early March. Australian consumer inflation expectations rose 0.1 percentage point to 5.8%.