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Andy Challenger, Chief Revenue Officer of Challenger Inc.: Hiring has also increased by 25% compared to last year, so while artificial intelligence is changing the labor market, it is not destroying jobs.

Challenger's US layoff report: July layoffs plummeted to 33,429, while hiring plans increased slightly; artificial intelligence remained the primary reason for layoffs for the fifth consecutive month.

The US Challenger job cuts annual rate was -46.1% in July, compared to -4.50% previously.

The US Challenger job cuts rate fell 27.09% month-on-month in July, compared with a previous reading of -53%.

The number of Challenger job cuts in the U.S. in July was 33,429, compared to 45,849 in the previous month.

Shenzhen Border Inspection General Station said as of Aug 4, 2026 foreign entries and exits via Shenzhen ports exceeded 5.00 mln, reaching the 2025 level 58 days earlier. Visa‑free inbound foreigners totaled 1.269 mln, or 50.9% of inbound foreigners, up 47.5% YoY. Foreign nationals from APEC economies accounted for 3.433 mln entries/exits, 68.6% of the total, up 23.6% YoY.

The number of layoffs of US Challenger Corporates in July will be announced in ten minutes.

Russian President Vladimir Putin: The prospects for cooperation between Russia and Kyrgyzstan are broad.

According to South Korean media reports, an increasing number of South Korean retail investors are returning to the US stock market, even at the cost of forgoing tax breaks and incurring penalties. The South Korean government previously introduced Returning Investment Accounts (RIAs) to attract overseas stock investment funds back to the domestic market, but just four months after its launch, funds have already begun to flow out of these accounts. Data released by the Korea Financial Investment Association on the 6th shows that as of March 31st, the total balance of RIA accounts was 2.1214 trillion won. This balance exceeded 2.6 trillion won at the end of May, representing a decrease of approximately 500 billion won in two months. This is the first time since the system was implemented on March 23rd that the account balance has experienced a monthly net outflow. The RIA system stipulates that investors who sell overseas stocks can receive a tax exemption on capital gains from overseas stocks if they reinvest the funds in South Korean listed stocks or equity funds. However, to enjoy the tax benefits, investors must hold the investment funds for at least one year. Data shows that the South Korean KOSPI index plummeted by more than 20% in July, while the US Nasdaq index fell by only about 2% during the same period. Analysts believe that some investors are choosing to cancel their RIA accounts because they are worried about being locked into the South Korean market to save on capital gains tax and potentially facing asset devaluation, even if it means giving up tax benefits and incurring penalties.

Eurozone retail sales rose 0.7% year-on-year in June, below the expected 1% and the previous figure revised from 1.60% to 1.9%.

AppLovin's revenue missed expectations, causing software stocks to fall in pre-market trading. Oracle (ORCL.N) fell 3.6%, Salesforce (CRM.N) fell 4.6%, Adobe (ADBE.O) fell 2.6%, and ServiceNow fell 2.7%.

A Reuters poll shows that short bets on the Indian rupee have fallen to their lowest level since mid-July 2025.

According to Japan's Kyodo News, Toyota will suspend 17 production lines at nine factories in Japan on Friday due to the approaching typhoon.

The UK's July construction PMI came in at 44.7, below the expected 40 and the previous reading of 38.4.

The Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations of India (FADA) reported that overall automobile retail sales in July increased by 25.89% year-on-year.

German prosecutors have detained a 33-year-old Ukrainian man on suspicion of espionage for sabotage purposes.

German Federal Motor Transport Authority: Car registrations in Germany rose 1.2% in July, reaching 268,068 vehicles.

The governor of Russia's Yaroslavl region said that a local oil refinery caught fire after a drone attack.

The Hang Seng China Enterprises Index (HSI) closed down 385.54 points, or 1.49%, at 25,530.28 on Thursday, August 6th. The Hang Seng Tech Index closed down 112.29 points, or 2.28%, at 4,820.78 on Thursday, August 6th. The Hang Seng China Enterprises Index (HSCEI) closed down 105.0 points, or 1.22%, at 8,498.73 on Thursday, August 6th. The Hang Seng Red Chip Index (HSC) closed down 35.83 points, or 0.86%, at 4,122.32 on Thursday, August 6th.

Market news: The UK government's latest sanctions target Russian ships and companies, including banks and industrial groups.