Flash News

TREE NEWS reports: The final reading of the University of Michigan consumer current conditions index for October came in at 46.7, above the 44.9 expected and up from the preliminary 44.7 reading. The figure is a monthly gauge of how Americans view their own finances and buying conditions.

TREE NEWS update: Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on October 23, 2026, that countries must jointly uphold the United Nations’ core role in global governance. Speaking at the opening of the 2026 Global Governance Forum in Xiong’an, Wang said the UN Charter took effect 81 years ago and the UN has become an indispensable platform for global governance. He called for implementing the UN80 reform initiative and improving the Security Council’s rapid response capacity.

TREE NEWS update: The U.S. Department of Energy approved an emergency exchange of up to 400,000 barrels of crude oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to address a crude supply disruption affecting Phillips 66’s Lake Charles refinery in Louisiana. The swap aims to offset the interruption at the facility.

TREE NEWS update: China’s first batch of 18 actively managed ETFs raised more than 15 billion yuan ($2.1 billion) on their Oct. 23 debut, with three products hitting their 2 billion yuan initial caps and closing subscriptions early with proportional allotment. Brokerages and fund companies plan to buy about 2.17 billion yuan of the products themselves, including 259 million yuan subscribed by Guotai Haitong Securities on Friday.

TREE NEWS reports: The US S&P Global manufacturing PMI flash reading for October came in at 56, a 53-month high, while the services PMI flash fell to 57.9, a two-month low. The composite PMI flash also slipped to 57.6, a two-month low.

TREE NEWS update: China’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs pledged to develop a high-quality forage industry and improve weak links in agricultural processing, cold-chain logistics and brand marketing, following a party group meeting on the 23rd. The ministry said it would advance the full-chain transformation of grassland livestock farming, set livestock numbers by forage capacity, and help farmers and herders raise incomes.

TREE NEWS reports: The S&P 500 opened 26.25 points lower, down 0.34% at 7,637.18. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 171.28 points, or 0.32%, to 52,696.70, while the Nasdaq Composite dropped 114.91 points, or 0.44%, to 25,893.95.

TREE NEWS update: The White House said on Oct. 23 that it brokered a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine in Oleshky, under which both sides will halt all military operations to allow humanitarian aid in and civilians to evacuate through designated safe corridors. The truce takes effect on Oct. 29.

TREE NEWS update: Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met Asia Society Board Co-Chair John Thornton and New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman on Oct. 23 in Xiong’an New Area, Hebei, on the sidelines of the 2026 Global Governance Forum. Wang said China advocates inclusive, beneficial AI development and that China and the US, as first-tier AI nations, have the ability and responsibility to jointly develop and manage AI so it remains controlled by humans and serves the people.

TREE NEWS update: Melania Trump brokered a localized ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine in the Oleshky area, set to begin on October 29. The partial truce covers only that specific region, with no details given on its terms or duration. The development marks a rare diplomatic breakthrough in the war, though it remains limited in scope.

TREE NEWS update: Bank of China, ICBC, China CITIC Bank and Bank of Nanjing have rolled out limited-time promotions on their gold accumulation products, including lower fees and per-gram discounts, as international gold prices stay high and volatile. Industry insiders say the wave of promotions reflects a structural shift in banks’ precious metals business, with lenders cutting fees, extending trading hours and optimizing trading methods to compete for customers.

TREE NEWS update: Walmart priced $3 billion of U.S. dollar-denominated bonds and C$5 billion of Canadian dollar-denominated bonds, with the pricing agreement signed on October 19. The retail giant is issuing debt in two currencies simultaneously, tapping both the U.S. and Canadian markets.

TREE NEWS reports: Night-session futures trading opened with fuel oil, pure benzene, crude oil and propylene each rising more than 2%, while LPG and polypropylene gained nearly 2% and PVC added over 1%. On the downside, Shanghai silver and caustic soda fell more than 1%, and Shanghai nickel slipped nearly 1%.

TREE NEWS update: China’s National Energy Administration convened a meeting on October 21 on medium- and long-term oil and gas reserve and production growth. The agency said oil and gas companies must, given a complex and severe international situation, safeguard national energy security by increasing production capacity and boosting reserves and output over a prolonged period. It framed the goal as keeping energy supply firmly in the country’s own hands.

TREE NEWS reports: US equity futures fell ahead of Friday’s open, with Dow futures down nearly 1%. SK Hynix rose 5.5% while Western Digital fell about 3%. Gold broke below $4,000 an ounce during the session, and Brent crude rose to $115 a barrel. The Nikkei 225 closed down 0.3%, the Shanghai Composite gained 0.89% and the Hang Seng added 0.69%.

TREE NEWS update: American Express is cutting 5% of its workforce, affecting about 3,500 employees, the company said. The reduction is the latest sign of cost discipline at a major card issuer as it restructures operations. No further details on timing or which units are affected were provided.

TREE NEWS update: Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport issued an air raid alert on October 23, directing passengers to move to nearby safe areas and shelters. The airport’s press service said elevators, aircraft cabins, windows and glass structures were off-limits during the alert, and video and photography were prohibited. It also warned people not to approach any drones or debris they find.

TREE NEWS reports: Democrats plan to investigate Starlink’s activities in Ukraine if they win control of the House, CNBC reported. The probe would focus on the satellite internet service’s role in the country. No further details on the scope or timing of the planned investigation were provided.

TREE NEWS reports: Canada’s retail sales rose 1.2% month over month in August, falling short of the 1.3% expected, after a 0.7% decline in July. The August figure marks a rebound from the prior month’s contraction, though the pace of growth came in slightly below market forecasts.

TREE NEWS reports: Bitcoin price volatility cooled on Friday’s Asia trading session after the cryptocurrency posted a 3% loss, as stock markets battled another day of resurgent AI fears. The consolidation came as investors weighed renewed concerns over artificial intelligence valuations that have pressured equities in recent sessions.