{"id":64530,"date":"2026-07-09T20:08:20","date_gmt":"2026-07-10T00:08:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/global-markets-react-to-middle-east-escalation-and-ai-sector-surges\/64530\/"},"modified":"2026-07-09T20:08:20","modified_gmt":"2026-07-10T00:08:20","slug":"global-markets-react-to-middle-east-escalation-and-ai-sector-surges","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/global-markets-react-to-middle-east-escalation-and-ai-sector-surges\/64530\/","title":{"rendered":"Global Markets React to Middle East Escalation and AI Sector Surges"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>SK Hynix (<a href=\"\/stock\/SKHY\">SKHY<\/a>) prices its landmark U.S. listing at $149 per ADR<\/strong>, raising <strong>$26.5 billion<\/strong> in the world\u2019s second-largest stock sale to fund AI infrastructure.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Japan\u2019s Producer Price Index (PPI) surged 7.1% year-on-year in June<\/strong>, exceeding forecasts of 6.8% and marking the fastest acceleration in over three years due to a weak yen and energy costs.<\/li>\n<li><strong>U.S. forces launched &quot;powerful strikes&quot; against Iranian targets<\/strong> following attacks on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, ending a brief 11-day ceasefire and spiking geopolitical risk.<\/li>\n<li><strong>MiniMax Group announced a HK$16 billion capital raise<\/strong> through a combination of new share placements and zero-coupon convertible bonds to expand its AI model research and infrastructure.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Charles Schwab (<a href=\"\/stock\/SCHW\">SCHW<\/a>) reported a surge in &quot;Trump Account&quot; activity<\/strong> following the July 4 launch of the new government-backed savings vehicles for children.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Tech and AI Sector Momentum<\/h2>\n<p>South Korean semiconductor giants saw significant gains as the AI trade intensified. <strong>SK Hynix (<a href=\"\/stock\/SKHY\">SKHY<\/a>)<\/strong> finalized its Nasdaq listing price at <strong>$149 per ADR<\/strong>, a 2.9% premium to its domestic closing price, after the offering was more than seven times oversubscribed. The <strong>$26.5 billion<\/strong> raised will be used to build new factories and equipment to meet insatiable demand for high-bandwidth memory (HBM) chips. Meanwhile, <strong>Samsung Electronics (<a href=\"\/stock\/SSNLF\">SSNLF<\/a>)<\/strong> shares surged over 4% amid reports that Chairman Lee Jae-yong plans to meet <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/stockmarketwatch.com\/stock\/NVDA\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"15\" title=\"stock: NVDA\">Nvidia<\/a> (<a href=\"\/stock\/NVDA\">NVDA<\/a>)<\/strong> CEO Jensen Huang in the U.S. later this month to discuss deepening their AI partnership.<\/p>\n<p><strong>MiniMax Group<\/strong> also moved to capitalize on the AI boom, announcing a placement of 35.6 million new Class A shares at <strong>HK$268 each<\/strong> to raise <strong>HK$9.54 billion<\/strong>. Additionally, the company proposed <strong>HK$6.5 billion<\/strong> in zero-coupon guaranteed convertible bonds due 2027. The combined proceeds are earmarked for advancing AI model research and development and expanding the company&#39;s computing infrastructure.<\/p>\n<h2>Geopolitical Tensions and Inflation<\/h2>\n<p>Geopolitical risks returned to the forefront as <strong>U.S. officials confirmed the launch of airstrikes on Iranian missile and drone facilities<\/strong>. The strikes were a direct response to Iranian attacks on three commercial vessels in the <strong>Strait of Hormuz<\/strong>. While diplomatic channels remain technically open, President Donald Trump warned that the ceasefire is &quot;over,&quot; leading to immediate volatility in energy markets and a steadying of <a href=\"https:\/\/stockmarketwatch.com\/metal\/gold\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"4\" title=\"gold price today\">gold prices<\/a> as traders weighed the risk of a broader conflict.<\/p>\n<p>In Asia, <strong>Japan\u2019s June PPI rose 7.1% year-on-year<\/strong>, significantly higher than the <strong>6.3%<\/strong> recorded in May. The data reflects the compounding pressure of a weak yen and rising raw material costs, which are being passed through the supply chain. This hotter-than-expected inflation reading has increased speculation regarding the <strong>Bank of Japan&#39;s<\/strong> next move on interest rates, as producer prices have now remained above 5% for three consecutive months.<\/p>\n<h2>Corporate Earnings and Clarifications<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Seven &amp; i Holdings (<a href=\"\/stock\/SVNDY\">SVNDY<\/a>)<\/strong> shares declined <strong>2.4%<\/strong> despite the company raising its full-year profit outlook to <strong>\u00a5425 billion ($2.6 billion)<\/strong>. While the company reported a first-quarter profit beat driven by strong fuel margins in its U.S. 7-Eleven unit, investors appeared cautious over declining revenue and the delay of its North American IPO until at least next March.<\/p>\n<p>In the logistics tech space, <strong>WiseTech Global (<a href=\"\/stock\/WTC\">WTC<\/a>)<\/strong> issued a clarification regarding its relationship with Danish giant <strong>DSV<\/strong>. The company confirmed that <strong>DSV remains an active customer<\/strong> with a contract running until <strong>September 2028<\/strong>. WiseTech noted that transaction volumes with DSV grew <strong>20%<\/strong> over the last six months, countering recent market speculation about a potential exit by the major client.<\/p>\n<h2>Domestic Policy and Retail Trading<\/h2>\n<p>The financial sector noted a significant uptick in activity surrounding the newly launched <strong>&quot;Trump Accounts.&quot;<\/strong> <strong>Charles Schwab (<a href=\"\/stock\/SCHW\">SCHW<\/a>)<\/strong> reported a trading surge in these child savings vehicles, which formally launched on July 4. The U.S. Treasury confirmed that over <strong>6 million accounts<\/strong> have been opened, with the government providing a <strong>$1,000 starter contribution<\/strong> for eligible infants. The default investment for these accounts has been set as the <strong>State Street SPDR Portfolio <a href=\"https:\/\/stockmarketwatch.com\/indices\/sp500\/today\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"3\" title=\"snp500 today\">S&amp;P 500<\/a> ETF (<a href=\"\/stock\/SPYM\">SPYM<\/a>)<\/strong>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Key Takeaways SK Hynix (SKHY) prices its landmark U.S. listing at $149 per ADR, raising $26.5 billion in the world\u2019s 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