Flash News

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.

TREE NEWS reports: Coking coal and ethylene glycol fell more than 2% at the open of China’s night futures session, while methanol, PTA, synthetic rubber, coke and asphalt each dropped over 1%. Fuel oil bucked the trend, rising more than 1%.

TREE NEWS update: People’s Bank of China Governor Pan Gongsheng said the central bank plans to create a liquidity support tool for large redemptions at non-bank institutions and to replace benchmark deposit and lending rates with market-based interest rate indicators. Separately, CSRC Chairman Wu Qing said the securities regulator will roll out four measures and tighten rules on penalties for illegal share reductions.

TREE NEWS update: White House National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett said inflation appears to have returned and that work is needed to address it. Hassett also pointed to non-essential travel as a sign people feel good, adding that tourism and airfare spending are positive signals for the economy.

TREE NEWS update: X-energy said Amazon will provide development funding for its second project. The announcement covers funding only for that project, with no amount, timeline or site details disclosed. X-energy is a nuclear reactor developer and Amazon is backing the project’s development phase.

TREE NEWS reports: Canada’s consumer price index rose 3.1% year-on-year in September, missing the 3.2% forecast and matching the prior 3% pace. The reading comes in below economist expectations, with the prior month’s figure at 3%.

TREE NEWS update: Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Tehran on the 19th, Iran’s foreign ministry said. The visit was aimed at following up on the implementation of bilateral agreements and holding consultations on regional and international developments, the ministry said ahead of the meeting.

TREE NEWS update: Riyadh airport has restricted flight operations following an attack by the Houthis. The curbs on takeoffs and landings at the Saudi capital’s airport come after the strike. No further operational details were immediately available.