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Yesterday, US markets closed lower, with the S&P500 down 0.27% and Nasdaq falling 0.50%, while DJIA was unchanged. The US is preparing a partial evacuation of its embassy in Iraq amid heightened regional security threats. A senior Iranian official warned that Tehran would target US military bases if nuclear talks collapse and conflict breaks out with Washington. Meanwhile, US consumer prices rose only slightly in May, though economists expect inflation to accelerate in the coming months due to tariffs imposed by the Trump administration. On a yoy basis, headline inflation reached 2.4%, below the 2.5% forecast by economists surveyed by Reuters. Traders now see a 70% probability of a Federal Reserve rate cut by September, according to the CME FedWatch tool. Meanwhile, President Trump declared a US-China trade deal ‘done’ after both sides agreed on a framework to revive the truce and ease Chinese export restrictions on rare earths and key industrial components. Asia-Pacific markets rose on Wednesday, with Hang Seng up 0.79%, Nikkei225 gaining 0.55%, Kospi climbing 1.23%, and ASX200 edging up 0.06%. In contrast, the JCI slipped 0.11% to close at 7,222.46.