🌏 Asia: Shares fell Thursday as chipmakers stumbled. Kospi slid as much as 7.6% before trimming losses (holiday Friday), Nikkei –2.8%, Topix –1.2%. Hang Seng bucked the trend, holding gains. China Q2 GDP missed at 4.3% vs 4.5% expected.
💵 FX: USD/JPY ~162.15, edging lower after Japan’s FinMin Katayama flagged readiness for currency action. EUR/USD trading choppy near 1.14, capped by cautious risk mood.
🥇 Gold: XAU/USD ~$4,035–4,040, slipping as renewed oil gains revive inflation worries.
🛢 Oil: Brent holding above $85 as US–Iran tensions near the Strait of Hormuz stay elevated.
📈 Wall Street (Wed close): S&P 500 +0.4%, Nasdaq +0.6%, Dow +0.3% — tech led on cooler June CPI (3.5% y/y).
🔑 Today: US retail sales, jobless claims, Philly Fed Index — watch for fresh USD moves.
⚡ Volatility risk stays high — trade with caution!
📊 NordFX Morning Update — July 16, 2026 was originally published in Coinmonks on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.