π° Hourly Briefing | 2026-06-24 18:00 CST
Gold drops below 4065, WTI at 72.58; US-Iran ceasefire extends as Hormuz Strait reopens; Samsung considers ~90 trillion won buyback; Micron earnings after close
π° Hourly Briefing | 2026-06-24 18:00 CST
π Market Snapshot
- π₯ Spot Gold 4064.81, down -1.09% (-44.87), range 4050.50β4115.13
- π’οΈ WTI Crude 72.58, down -1.47% (-1.08), range 72.14β73.77
- Southbound capital net inflow of 15.75 billion HKD today; Tracker Fund received 6.175 billion in net buying
π₯ Key News This Hour
β’ US-Iran temporary ceasefire extended, Hormuz Strait traffic fully restored β Markets now assessing the real impact of strait reopening on commodity supply. Multiple Middle Eastern nations face technical challenges in restarting wells previously shut down due to conflict, with formation pressure imbalance being a key variable.
β’ Samsung Electronics considering ~90 trillion won stock buyback for bonus payments β Specific timeline and scale not yet determined; formal announcement expected within one month. If executed, it would be one of the largest buybacks in Korean corporate history.
β’ Bilibili (BILI) up 2.4% pre-market β Announced a new $300 million share buyback plan, boosting market sentiment.
β’ Russian FM Lavrov: will not accept any ultimatums β Reaffirmed commitment to implementing agreements reached with the US in Anchorage; Russia-Ukraine situation unlikely to see breakthrough progress in the near term.
β’ Japan PM Takaichi: expects total public/private investment of 370 trillion yen by FY2040 β Clear signal of fiscal expansion; combined with US-Japan consensus on FX intervention, the pace of yen weakening is being constrained.
β’ MIIT and four other ministries launch industrial 5G private network pilot β Targeting specialized industries and large enterprises; industrial 5G application enters implementation phase.
β’ After-hours focus: Micron (MU) earnings tonight β Markets expect ~14% post-earnings implied move, corresponding to over $150 billion in market cap change; the AI memory bull thesis faces a critical test.
π§ Assessment
The US-Iran temporary ceasefire extension is the biggest variable this hour. Hormuz Strait reopening directly eases the panic premium on crude supply, making WTI’s dip below $73 logical.
Gold retreated from 4115 to 4065, a drop exceeding 1%, reflecting a clear unwinding of geopolitical safe-haven bids. The $4050 level is the near-term support to watch.
Middle Eastern well restarts are a double-edged sword β capacity restoration is bearish for oil, but if technical issues delay supply recovery, it could create a secondary supply shock.
Samsung’s potential 90 trillion won buyback would be a major sentiment catalyst for Korean equities if confirmed, but uncertainty remains high at the “under consideration” stage.
Tonight’s Micron earnings are the litmus test for tech. Elevated implied volatility reflects growing skepticism about AI investment payoffs.
β° Upcoming Key Data
- πΊπΈ Micron (MU) after-hours earnings (focus on HBM and AI memory revenue guidance)
- πΊπΈ US API Crude Oil Inventory (tonight; post-Hormuz reopening inventory data will be closely watched)
- πΊπΈ June Consumer Confidence Index