π° Hourly Briefing | 2026-07-25 14:00 CST
US pauses Iran strikes after 13 consecutive nights, WTI crude drops 2% to $90.89. Saudi confirms coalition strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen. Samsung signs $200B AI chip MOU with Broadcom, SK Group deepens AI partnerships with NVIDIA and Anthropic.
π Market Snapshot
- Spot Gold XAUUSD: 4053.38 (+0.11%), intraday range 4022.05 β 4082.04
- WTI Crude USOIL: 90.89 (-2.05%), intraday range 88.11 β 93.22
- Gold consolidates at elevated levels; oil retreats on Iran de-escalation signal
π₯ Key Headlines This Hour
π US Military Pauses Iran Strikes After 13 Nights β For the first time in nearly two weeks, US Central Command did not announce any strikes on Iran on Friday (Beijing time this morning). Markets interpret this as a potential de-escalation signal after 13 consecutive nights of military action.
πΈπ¦ Saudi Arabia Confirms Coalition Strikes on Houthi Targets β The Saudi-led coalition stated the strikes targeted Houthi military objectives linked to threats against Red Sea shipping. Hodeidah port was not hit. Red Sea shipping lane risks persist.
π°π· Samsung and Broadcom Sign $200 Billion AI Cooperation MOU β Covering memory chips, foundry services, and advanced packaging through 2030. Samsung will co-develop Broadcom’s next-gen AI accelerators using Samsung’s HBM technology and provide sub-2nm foundry process. A major signal of AI chip supply chain consolidation.
π°π· SK Group Deepens AI Ties with NVIDIA and Anthropic β SK Hynix announces long-term AI memory partnership with NVIDIA; SK Group and NVIDIA expand strategic cooperation covering AI factories and next-gen memory; SK Group to cooperate with Anthropic on GW-scale AI data center in South Korea.
πͺπΊ ECB Chief Economist: US Is Not the Dominant Force in International Trade β Philip Lane stated that Europe’s economy is primarily supported by domestic demand, and transatlantic trade is “not the dominant issue.” The ECB’s stance on US trade policy is hardening.
π Electrolyte Additive VC Prices Surge Over 40% in a Month β VC (vinylene carbonate) reached 200,000 yuan/ton on July 24, with a single-day jump of 20,000 yuan/ton on July 23 β breaking the 200k mark for the first time in over 4 years. Suppliers are limiting shipments.
π’οΈ Kuwait Petroleum Welcomes Blackstone, Brookfield, KKR β Top global PE firms enter Middle East energy assets through the “Peregrine Project,” as Kuwait accelerates energy asset diversification.
π―π΅ Japan’s LDP Hit by Another Money Scandal β Fukuoka branch accused of demanding large “tribute” payments from prefectural assembly speakers, with a former speaker revealing he was asked for 20 million yen.
π§ Market Assessment
The first pause in US strikes on Iran in 13 days sent WTI crude down 2%, but the bounce from the session low of 88.11 to 90.89 suggests the market is not fully pricing in de-escalation.
Saudi coalition strikes on Houthi targets add a parallel risk vector to Red Sea shipping lanes, likely capping oil’s downside even if Iran tensions ease.
South Korea’s AI industry unleashed a concentrated wave of announcements today β the Samsung-Broadcom $200 billion deal and SK’s comprehensive partnerships with NVIDIA and Anthropic signal that Korea is positioning itself as an indispensable node in the AI chip supply chain.
ECB Chief Economist Lane’s direct rejection of US trade dominance marks a shift in the ECB’s posture from “measured response” to “active decoupling” on trade policy.
Gold hovers near 4050 as geopolitical risk premium persists, but upward momentum is fading.
β° Upcoming Key Data
- Week of July 27 β August 2: US GDP, PCE inflation data ahead of the approaching FOMC meeting
- Middle East developments: watch for whether US strikes on Iran resume, and the scale of Saudi coalition operations