{"id":63968,"date":"2026-06-29T21:38:12","date_gmt":"2026-06-30T01:38:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/yen-hits-40-year-low-while-china-pmi-beats-expectations-amid-regional-tensions\/63968\/"},"modified":"2026-06-29T21:38:12","modified_gmt":"2026-06-30T01:38:12","slug":"yen-hits-40-year-low-while-china-pmi-beats-expectations-amid-regional-tensions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/yen-hits-40-year-low-while-china-pmi-beats-expectations-amid-regional-tensions\/63968\/","title":{"rendered":"Yen Hits 40-Year Low While China PMI Beats Expectations Amid Regional Tensions"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Japanese Yen plummeted to 162.41 per dollar<\/strong>, marking its weakest level since 1986 and triggering urgent verbal intervention warnings from Japanese finance officials.<\/li>\n<li><strong>China\u2019s June Manufacturing PMI rose to 50.3<\/strong>, exceeding expectations and signaling a modest expansion in industrial activity despite a fragile property sector.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Super Micro Computer (<a href=\"\/stock\/SMCI\">SMCI<\/a>) offices in Taiwan were raided<\/strong> by authorities as part of an investigation into the alleged smuggling of <a href=\"https:\/\/stockmarketwatch.com\/stock\/NVDA\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"15\" title=\"stock: NVDA\">Nvidia<\/a> (<a href=\"\/stock\/NVDA\">NVDA<\/a>) chips into China.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Warren Buffett (<a href=\"\/stock\/BRK.A\">BRK.A<\/a>) has reportedly paused his midyear donation<\/strong> to the Gates Foundation, citing an ongoing review related to the late Jeffrey Epstein.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Geopolitical tensions escalated in the Middle East and South China Sea<\/strong>, with Iran threatening control over the Strait of Hormuz and China conducting naval patrols near Scarborough Shoal.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The Japanese Yen has fallen to a historic 38-year low, reaching <strong>162.41 against the U.S. Dollar<\/strong>. This decline has prompted Japan&#39;s Finance Minister Katayama and Chief Cabinet Secretary Kihara to signal that authorities are ready to take &quot;decisive action&quot; to curb excessive volatility. <em>Market participants remain on high alert for a physical intervention by the Bank of Japan to support the currency.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>In China, economic data provided a rare glimmer of optimism as the <strong>Manufacturing PMI for June landed at 50.3<\/strong>, beating the 50.1 estimate. The <strong>Non-Manufacturing PMI also outperformed at 50.2<\/strong>, while the Composite PMI edged up to <strong>50.6<\/strong>. Despite these gains, Fitch Ratings warned that the Chinese property market remains &quot;fragile,&quot; and interbank dollar lending liquidity gauges have climbed to a record high of <strong>74<\/strong>, suggesting underlying stress in the financial system.<\/p>\n<p>Technology stocks and supply chains are facing fresh scrutiny following a government raid on the Taiwan offices of <strong>Super Micro Computer (<a href=\"\/stock\/SMCI\">SMCI<\/a>)<\/strong>. The investigation centers on allegations that the company\u2019s servers were used to smuggle high-end <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/stockmarketwatch.com\/stock\/NVDA\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"15\" title=\"stock: NVDA\">Nvidia<\/a> (<a href=\"\/stock\/NVDA\">NVDA<\/a>)<\/strong> chips into China, bypassing export controls. Meanwhile, Apple (<a href=\"\/stock\/AAPL\">AAPL<\/a>) supplier <strong>Luxshare<\/strong> is reportedly seeking to raise up to <strong>$3.1 billion<\/strong> through a share sale in Hong Kong.<\/p>\n<p>Commodities markets saw significant downward pressure during early trading. <strong>Spot <a href=\"https:\/\/stockmarketwatch.com\/metal\/gold\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"4\" title=\"gold price today\">gold<\/a> dropped 1% to $3,975.53 per ounce<\/strong>, weighed down by a hawkish repricing of the U.S. Dollar. <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/stockmarketwatch.com\/energy\/crude-oil\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"12\" title=\"Crude oil\">Oil prices<\/a> also retreated<\/strong> as traders adjusted positions ahead of anticipated negotiations between the U.S. and Iran, even as Tehran reiterated its determination to maintain control over the <strong>Strait of Hormuz<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>In the corporate world, <strong>Warren Buffett (<a href=\"\/stock\/BRK.A\">BRK.A<\/a>)<\/strong> has made headlines by postponing his traditional midyear donation to the Gates Foundation. Reports suggest the pause is linked to an ongoing review of the foundation&#39;s ties to Jeffrey Epstein. Additionally, <strong>SpaceX<\/strong> is reportedly in discussions with the U.S. government regarding a potential stock donation for accounts associated with Donald Trump, adding a political dimension to the private space firm&#39;s valuation.<\/p>\n<p>Regional markets showed mixed results, with the <strong>Taiwan stock market advancing over 2.2%<\/strong> while Japan\u2019s <strong>Nikkei Share Average reversed early gains to trade 0.14% lower<\/strong>. New Zealand reported a massive surge in <strong>ANZ Business Confidence to 36.6<\/strong>, far exceeding the 11.0 estimate, suggesting a potential decoupling of Kiwi sentiment from the broader regional slowdown.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Key Takeaways Japanese Yen plummeted to 162.41 per dollar, marking its weakest level since 1986 and triggering urgent verbal intervention 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