South Korean and Japanese equities plunged after a sudden reversal in global AI sentiment and macro developments. In Seoul, Samsung Electronics fell 7.4% and SK Hynix dropped 10.1% intraday; the two memory-chip makers account for roughly half of KOSPI market capitalization. KOSPI slid more than 9% intraday and triggered a 20-minute trading halt — the fourth such pause this year. In Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 fell over 3%, led by SoftBank and Kioxia, down about 10% and 14% respectively. Both markets h

S&P Global preliminary June US composite PMI 52.2, five-month high; preliminary US services PMI 51.3, four-month high; preliminary US services PMI 55.7, 49-month high.

FX desks are on alert for possible Japanese intervention after reports that Japan's finance minister Katayama and US treasury secretary Bessent held an online discussion that may have touched on exchange rates. USD/JPY traded around 161.57 early Tuesday, near a 40-year low. NHK and Kyodo reported the officials may have discussed the currency. Traders say the yen remains under pressure after the Bank of Japan’s recent rate hike failed to raise borrowing costs quickly enough to curb inflation, and higher oil prices linked to the US‑Iran war add further strain. A Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank New York trader, Takeru Yamamoto, said Japanese authorities may seek to signal coordination with the US and that the intervention threshold is not high; he added USD/JPY could test the 162 area this week despite the underlying fundamentals.