Dollar rises 0.3% against yen to 158.296; gold slips, European stocks fall

The yen's slide past 158 against the dollar sits alongside a softer euro equity tape and weaker crude, a mix that points to dollar strength rather than broad risk appetite. The tell is the divergence within metals: gold essentially flat while silver gains over a percent suggests industrial demand signals rather than a pure safe-haven bid. With European indices off more than 1% and WTI nearing $98, the cross-asset picture looks more like a growth scare than a simple rotation. Whether the yen weakness persists without drawing official pushback is the open question.