Flash News

TREE NEWS update: India and Saudi Arabia are reviewing a power grid interconnection agreement, the two countries said. The review covers the proposed link between their electricity networks, a move that would deepen energy ties between the South Asian and Gulf economies. No timeline or capacity figures were given.

TREE NEWS reports: Hindustan Zinc reported Monday that its quarterly profit more than doubled, driven by higher metal prices. The company also lowered its zinc production cost forecast for fiscal 2027, citing rising output and stronger by-product revenue.

TREE NEWS update: The 27th meeting of the China-Russia Committee on Humanitarian Cooperation was held in St. Petersburg on May 19, co-chaired by Chinese State Councilor Shen Yiqin and Russian Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova. Shen noted that this year marks the 30th anniversary of the establishment of the China-Russia strategic partnership of coordination and the 25th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Good-Neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation. The two sides agreed to implement the consensus of their heads of state and advance key projects under the “China-Russia Year of Education.”

TREE NEWS reports: The S&P 500 rose 0.7% to set a new intraday high, while the Nasdaq 100 climbed 1.5%. The moves marked a broad advance in U.S. equities, with the tech-heavy index outpacing the benchmark. No specific catalyst was cited in the data.

TREE NEWS update: Yemen’s Houthi movement said on the afternoon of the 19th that it attacked a Saudi military gathering at the Alam camp in eastern Yemen, which is managed by Saudi officers. The group claimed the strike caused dozens of casualties, including Saudi officers, and warned personnel not to respond to Saudi calls.

TREE NEWS reports: French government bond prices extended their decline, pushing the yield on the 10-year OAT up 10 basis points to 4.91%. The move marks a sharp selloff in French sovereign debt, with the benchmark yield reaching its highest level in the session.

TREE NEWS update: A missile attack by Yemen’s Houthi militia on a military base in Shabwa province, southeastern Yemen, killed 53 people and injured more than 200, the provincial government said in a statement on social media on the 19th. The statement did not provide further details on the attack or the identities of the victims.

TREE NEWS update: China Securities Regulatory Commission Chairman Wu Qing said at the opening of the 2026 Financial Street Forum that China’s macroeconomic policy is gaining traction and its economy continues to improve, with the underlying logic of capital market operations having quietly undergone profound changes. The allocation value of Chinese assets is becoming more prominent, he said. The remarks were delivered on the day of the forum’s opening.

TREE NEWS update: Chinese Premier Li Qiang met Belarusian Prime Minister Alexander Turchin in Dushanbe on the afternoon of Oct. 19, on the sidelines of the 25th meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of Government (Prime Ministers). The meeting took place during the Shanghai Cooperation Organization’s prime ministers’ session in the Tajik capital.

TREE NEWS reports: The secured overnight financing rate (SOFR) stood at 3.88% on Oct. 16, down one basis point from 3.89% the prior day. The effective federal funds rate was unchanged at 3.88% on the last trading day.

TREE NEWS update: Residents of Riyadh received air raid alerts on the afternoon of the 19th local time, as sirens sounded across the Saudi capital. No further details on the cause of the alert, damage or casualties were immediately available. The alert marks a rare public warning in the kingdom’s capital.

TREE NEWS reports: The NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index fell to 29 in October from 32 in September, its lowest reading since June 2012 and below the median forecast of 31 from 25 economists. The current single-family sales gauge dropped to 33 from 35, while the buyer traffic measure slid to 18 from 23. NAHB chief economist Robert Dietz cited high mortgage rates, elevated construction costs and weakening consumer confidence for the decline.

TREE NEWS update: China’s Ministry of Commerce urged the UK on Thursday to abide by World Trade Organization rules and not to follow the EU in restricting Chinese electric vehicles, after UK trade minister Douglas Alexander said Britain and the EU must align on countering China’s dominance in the auto industry and are discussing EV tariffs. The ministry said it will closely monitor UK moves and will resolutely counter any restrictive measures to protect Chinese industry’s lawful rights.

TREE NEWS update: Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Iran and Russia held discussions about talks with the United States and the Strait of Hormuz. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is set to hold “high-level” talks with the Iranian president. No further details on the content of the discussions were provided.

TREE NEWS reports: The Nasdaq rose 1.1% at the open, while the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index gained more than 3%. Memory chip stocks led gains, with SanDisk up about 7%, Western Digital and Micron each up about 5%, and SK Hynix up about 4%. Optical stocks also climbed, including Marvell and Credo at about 5% and 4%, respectively. X-Energy rose about 6% after teaming with AEP and Amazon on a 960-megawatt advanced nuclear project.

TREE NEWS reports: The dollar rose 0.25% against the yen to 158.296, while gold fell 0.01% to $4,162.54 an ounce and silver gained 1.34% to $57.443 an ounce. European equities declined, with the Euro Stoxx 50 down 1.11% at 6,121.95 and Germany’s DAX 40 down 1.35% at 25,251.8. WTI crude fell 1.51% to $98.57 a barrel.

TREE NEWS reports: The S&P 500 opened 43.33 points higher, up 0.57%, at 7,702.77. The Dow Jones Industrial Average opened 23.83 points lower, down 0.05%, at 51,978.58. The Nasdaq Composite opened up 255.25 points, a gain of 0.98%, at 26,395.29.

TREE NEWS reports: France’s CAC 40 index widened its valuation discount to Germany’s DAX to more than 13% on Monday, the largest gap since early 2009, as political turmoil and weekend unrest drove investors out of French equities. The benchmark underperformed other regional markets following street violence over the weekend, adding to concerns over rising French debt and uncertainty ahead of next year’s presidential election.

TREE NEWS update: Chinese Premier Li Qiang met Iran’s First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref in Dushanbe on the afternoon of Oct. 19, on the sidelines of the 25th meeting of the Council of Heads of Government of Shanghai Cooperation Organization member states. The meeting took place during the SCO premier-level session hosted in the Tajik capital.

TREE NEWS update: China’s Foreign Ministry issued a reminder on [date] urging Chinese citizens traveling to France to strengthen their safety precautions. The notice, carried by Xinhua, did not specify the reason for the warning or any particular incident. It advised travelers to remain vigilant and take extra security measures while in the country.