Global Asset Price Performance - European stock markets lead the gains, with major global stock markets mostly rising this week. The S&P 500, Dow Jones, and Nasdaq indices increased by 1.6%, 0.9%, and 3.9% respectively compared to last week. The significant rise in European indices is attributed to strong financial sector earnings and potential peace talks between Trump and Putin regarding the Russia-Ukraine conflict [2] - In the bond market, major government bond yields showed mixed results, with the 10-year U.S. Treasury yield rising by 4 basis points. Oil prices fell this week, likely due to progress in the Russia-Ukraine ceasefire negotiations, reducing geopolitical risks. The U.S. dollar index decreased by 0.4% [2] Major Central Bank Monetary Policies - Stephen Miran has been nominated as a temporary Federal Reserve governor, succeeding Kugler until January next year. Several Federal Reserve officials have signaled dovish stances, with expectations of at least two rate cuts by the end of the year. If Miran's nomination is confirmed after Congress's recess, it may exacerbate divisions within the Fed [4] - The Bank of England has reduced its policy rate from 4.25% to 4%, marking the fifth rate cut in this cycle. The Bank of Japan expressed concerns about lagging monetary policy in the face of inflation risks [4] U.S. Economic Dynamics - The U.S. trade deficit narrowed to $60.2 billion in June, primarily due to a decrease in imports. The ISM Non-Manufacturing PMI fell to 50.8% in July, indicating a slowdown in service sector activity, with rising costs. Key components showed a 1.6 percentage point decline in business activity, and both export and import indices fell below the neutral line [7] - The U.S. is set to impose tariffs on imported semiconductors at approximately 100%, with exemptions for companies like Apple that invest in U.S. manufacturing. Additionally, tariffs on pharmaceuticals may reach up to 250% [7] Other Regional Economic Dynamics - Eurozone retail sales increased by 0.3% month-on-month in June, with a year-on-year growth rate of 3.1%, indicating resilient consumer spending. Service production also showed positive trends, with a 0.2% month-on-month increase in May [16]

Core Insights - Monthly commodity price forecast indicates oil price fluctuations, while copper and gold prices are expected to rise [2][6] Domestic Demand - Sales of new homes, second-hand homes, and passenger cars are all experiencing a decline in growth rates. In August, new home sales saw a year-on-year decline, while second-hand home sales decreased in volume but increased in price. The market is in a seasonal downturn, compounded by internal competition, with July passenger car sales growth rates for both retail and wholesale declining. The average sales price of home appliances has mostly decreased [2] - Movie box office revenue and attendance continue to exceed last year's levels, driven by popular films, with summer box office revenue surpassing 7.7 billion yuan. Tourism consumption remains strong, with hotel occupancy rates rising and revenue per available room increasing, consistently above last year’s figures. Additionally, inbound tourism is performing well, with the Google "China Travel" search index reaching new highs, and international flight operations continuing to rise compared to last year [2] External Demand - The expansion of tariffs on U.S. industries has led to a continued decline in shipping volumes from China to the U.S. Former President Trump announced plans to impose approximately 100% tariffs on chips and semiconductors, as well as small tariffs on imported pharmaceuticals, with future rates potentially rising to 250%. Furthermore, a 25% punitive tariff will be applied to Indian purchases of Russian oil [3] - Overall exports are weakening, with a decline in CCFI shipping rates and a significant drop in container throughput. The growth rate of container bookings from China to the U.S. is decreasing, and shipping volumes continue to decline. Traditional transshipment regions, such as Southeast Asian ports, are also seeing a year-on-year decrease in docking volumes. In June, new orders in the U.S. manufacturing sector fell year-on-year, with transportation equipment manufacturing being a significant drag [3] Production - Weather factors are impacting prices, with high temperatures suppressing demand. However, steel mill profitability is on the rise, and production growth rates for sample steel mills continue to increase. The industry’s self-imposed production cuts have had limited effects, leading to a decrease in rebar prices this week. The glass industry, previously influenced by internal competition, has also seen price declines due to limited changes in fundamentals [4] - Due to typhoons and heavy rainfall, cement shipment rates are low, but national average cement prices have risen this week. However, the direct supply of cement to construction sites has decreased week-on-week, and the funding availability rate for sample construction sites has also declined, indicating overall weak downstream demand [4] - The average daily coal consumption of six major power plants has increased this week due to sustained high temperatures, while frequent rainfall has restricted coal production and transportation in major producing areas, leading to a slight decrease in coal market supply and a continued rise in thermal coal prices [5] Prices - Gold and copper prices are rebounding, while oil prices are declining. Weakness in the U.S. labor market has raised expectations for interest rate cuts, contributing to the rise in gold prices. A mining accident in Chile, combined with expectations for rate cuts, has driven copper prices upward. Conversely, the easing of the Russia-Ukraine situation and continued OPEC+ production increases have put downward pressure on oil prices [6]

Core Viewpoint - The article discusses the rebound in China's export and import growth rates in July, highlighting the factors contributing to these changes and the outlook for the second half of the year [2][3][17]. Export Growth - In July, China's export growth rate recorded a year-on-year increase of 7.2%, up 1.3 percentage points from the previous month, although the month-on-month growth was below the median of the past five years [2][3]. - The rebound in exports is primarily attributed to a lower base from the previous year, as well as economic recovery in Europe and deepening cooperation with Latin America and Africa [3][8]. - Exports to most regions increased, with notable growth to Africa (42.5%) and Latin America (7.7%), while exports to the U.S. decreased by 21.6% [8]. Import Growth - China's import growth rate in July was 4.1%, a significant increase of 3 percentage points from the previous month, and the month-on-month growth was also notably higher than the five-year average [11]. - The increase in imports is driven by ongoing domestic production expansion and a significant drop in commodity prices compared to June, leading to higher imports of energy and industrial raw materials, particularly crude oil and copper [11][14]. - Imports from resource countries saw a notable increase of over 10%, with copper imports rising significantly [11][14]. Trade Surplus - China's trade surplus in July was $98.24 billion, which has narrowed compared to the previous month [17]. - Despite a downward trend in export growth, the contribution to economic growth is expected to remain stable due to various supportive factors, including European fiscal expansion and potential interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve [17].

Global Asset Price Performance - Global stock markets showed weakness, with major indices declining: S&P 500 down 2.4%, Dow Jones down 2.9%, and Nasdaq down 2.2% compared to last week [2][3] - Most government bond yields fell, with the 10-year U.S. Treasury yield decreasing by 17 basis points [2][3] - Oil prices increased, likely due to geopolitical tensions, particularly U.S. threats to sanction Russia [2] - The U.S. dollar index rose by 1% [2][3] Major Central Bank Monetary Policies - The Federal Reserve maintained interest rates at the current level for the fifth consecutive meeting, with some internal dissent among board members [4] - The Bank of Japan decided to keep its benchmark short-term interest rate at 0.5% and raised its core inflation forecast for fiscal year 2025 to 2.7% [4] U.S. Economic Dynamics - U.S. GDP for Q2 rebounded to an annualized rate of 3%, but private domestic final purchases fell to 1.2%, indicating a slowdown in domestic demand [7][8] - Non-farm payrolls added 73,000 jobs in July, but previous months' figures were revised down by a total of 258,000 jobs [8] - The unemployment rate rose to 4.2%, with a decline in labor force participation rate to 62.2%, the lowest since early 2023 [8] Other Regional Economic Dynamics - Eurozone economic growth slowed significantly in Q2, with GDP growth dropping from 0.6% in Q1 to 0.1% [19] - Germany and Italy experienced negative GDP growth in Q2, contributing to the overall slowdown in the Eurozone [19] - Japan's manufacturing PMI fell to 48.9 in July, indicating a contraction in the manufacturing sector due to weak demand [20]

Core Viewpoint - The July non-farm employment data shows a significant downward revision in previous months, indicating an overestimation of employment levels, particularly in government sectors. The overall labor market is cooling down, with rising unemployment rates and declining labor participation rates [2][3][5]. Employment Data Revision - The July non-farm employment recorded an increase of 73,000 jobs, but previous months' data were heavily revised downwards. June's employment was adjusted from 147,000 to 14,000, and May's from 144,000 to 19,000, totaling a downward revision of 258,000 jobs [3][2]. Unemployment Rate Trends - The unemployment rate rose slightly by 0.1 percentage points to 4.2% in July, while the U6 unemployment rate increased by 0.2 percentage points to 7.9%. This indicates a broad cooling of the job market, with a decrease in labor participation rate to 62.2%, the lowest since the beginning of 2023 [5][6]. Sector-Specific Employment Changes - Job growth in July was concentrated in the education and healthcare sectors, with retail, education, and financial activities seeing the most significant increases. However, government employment decreased by 10,000 jobs, marking the third negative month this year, with substantial downward revisions in previous months [6][2]. Labor Market Supply and Demand - As of June, job vacancies in the U.S. fell to 7.44 million, with a vacancy rate of 4.4%. The labor supply-demand gap recorded 422,000, indicating a return to pre-pandemic levels and suggesting a balance in the labor market [8]. Wage Growth Trends - Average hourly earnings in July increased by 0.3% month-over-month, with a year-over-year growth of 3.9%. However, long-term trends show a slowdown in wage growth since November 2024 [9][10]. Real Wage Growth - The real wage growth, adjusted for inflation, showed a year-over-year increase of 1% in June, down by 0.4 percentage points from the previous month. This indicates stable wage income growth [10]. Sectoral Wage Changes - In July, the highest year-over-year wage growth was observed in the retail and business services sectors, at 5.2% and 5.1%, respectively. Conversely, the slowest growth was in public utilities and construction, with declines of approximately 0.7 and 0.2 percentage points [12]. Interest Rate Expectations - Following the release of weak employment data, expectations for interest rate cuts in September have increased, with the probability rising from 40% to 80%. The anticipated number of rate cuts for the year has also increased from 1.3 to 2.2 [16].

Core Insights - Monthly commodity price forecast indicates oil prices are fluctuating, while copper and gold are trending upwards [2] Domestic Demand - New home sales are experiencing a larger decline, while automobile sales are also retreating; however, summer entertainment consumption is showing signs of improvement [2] - In July, new home sales saw a year-on-year decline, while the drop in second-hand home sales narrowed. The market is undergoing adjustments, and the growth rate of passenger car sales is slowing down, with retail sales declining and wholesale sales increasing [2] - The box office revenue for summer films has significantly improved, with total box office surpassing 6 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 48.4% [2] External Demand - The introduction of Tariff 2.0 has seen lower increases in tariffs for major economies like the EU and Japan compared to April, with China's tariffs being postponed for another three months [3] - Additional conditions require major economies to commit to investments in the U.S. and purchase energy products, with an extra 40% tariff on re-exporting countries like Vietnam targeting China [4] - July exports may see a slight decline, with a decrease in shipping weight and a drop in shipping volume to the U.S. [5] Production - The willingness to reduce production remains limited, with steel mill profits continuing to rise, leading to an increase in production [6] - Pork prices have decreased due to increased market supply, while the overall willingness to cut production remains low [7] - The average daily coal consumption of six major power plants is expected to rise in July, despite a temporary decrease due to weather conditions [7] Prices - Commodity prices have generally declined, with domestic rebar, thermal coal, and glass prices continuing to rise, while cement prices have decreased [8] - Gold prices are under pressure due to a softer tariff environment and the Federal Reserve's stance, while oil prices are supported by geopolitical uncertainties and seasonal demand [8] Follow-up Focus - Future attention will be on export data and price data [9]

Core Viewpoint - The Federal Reserve decided to maintain the benchmark interest rate at a target range of 4.25%-4.5%, with two members voting against this decision, advocating for a 25 basis point cut, marking the first dissent since 1993 [1] Economic Conditions - The Federal Reserve's assessment of economic conditions was downgraded to "growth of economic activity moderated" from "expand at a solid pace," indicating a slowdown in economic growth [6] - The labor market is showing signs of cooling, with June's non-farm payrolls increasing slightly to 147,000, but half of this increase was due to government jobs, while private sector employment declined [2][5] - The labor force participation rate is decreasing, and wage growth is slowing, suggesting a weakening labor market [2][5] Inflation Trends - Inflation is experiencing short-term rebound risks, with June inflation rising primarily due to increases in energy and core goods, while core services inflation remains stable [2][5] - The Federal Reserve maintains that inflation is still somewhat elevated, and the process of returning to target levels is halfway complete [4] - Tariff costs are gradually being passed on to consumers, but the impact of tariffs on inflation is expected to be temporary [4][5] Market Reactions - Following the Federal Reserve's announcement, the market's expectation for a rate cut in September significantly decreased from over 60% to below 50% [7] - The stock market experienced a decline, while bond yields rose and the dollar index increased, reflecting market uncertainty regarding inflation and economic conditions [7]

Core Viewpoint - The recent Politburo meeting emphasizes stability over innovation for the upcoming 15th Five-Year Plan, contrasting with the previous focus on seizing opportunities during the 14th Five-Year Plan [1] Policy Direction - The urgency for macroeconomic policy has decreased, shifting from "accelerated implementation" in April to "timely reinforcement" in July, indicating less pressure to boost domestic demand due to strong external demand [2] - The meeting highlighted the need for policy continuity and stability, focusing on the implementation of existing policies rather than introducing new ones, with limited incremental policies [2] - Key areas of focus include technology innovation, boosting consumption, supporting small and micro enterprises, and stabilizing foreign trade, with major economic provinces taking a leading role [2] Fiscal and Monetary Policy - Fiscal policy aims to improve the efficiency of fund usage, gradually phasing out inefficient investments, and prohibits new hidden debts for local governments, which may pressure local infrastructure investments [3] - Monetary policy has shifted from supporting the real economy to promoting a reduction in social financing costs, benefiting residents and enterprises broadly, with a focus on interest rate transmission mechanisms [3] - Consumer demand remains a priority, with an emphasis on nurturing new growth points in service consumption and improving livelihoods rather than just increasing income [3] Market Regulation and Competition - The meeting introduced the need to standardize local investment attraction practices, continuing the "anti-involution" policy direction, and aims to reshape market competition order [5] - The approach to supply-side reform differs from 2015, focusing on market-driven measures rather than administrative shutdowns, leading to a more moderate impact on prices [5] Foreign Trade and Capital Markets - Increased support for foreign trade enterprises was noted, with a focus on enhancing financing support for those significantly impacted by tariffs [5] - The capital market is expected to further open up, with an emphasis on maintaining a healthy market trend and enhancing its attractiveness and inclusivity [6] Urban Development - The meeting underscored the transition of urban development from large-scale expansion to quality improvement, aligning with the central urban work meeting's spirit [6] Commodity Market Outlook - The supply-side reform's impact on market competition is expected to be less forceful compared to previous measures, while demand-side policies are shifting towards the implementation of existing measures, leading to a moderate overall stimulus [8] - The previous bullish sentiment in commodities may stabilize as capacity reduction and demand expansion efforts are yet to be fully realized [8]

Group 1 - The current surge in commodity prices is primarily driven by sentiment, supply-side policies, and major infrastructure projects, with a notable "people's desire to rise" mentality emerging as prices hit lows in Q2 [1][4][5] - Supply-side policies aimed at curbing "involution" have been implemented, leading to production limits and price stabilization in industries such as photovoltaics, coal, and pork, which have contributed to price recovery [5][6] - The launch of the Yarlung Tsangpo River Super Hydropower Station, with a total investment of 1.2 trillion yuan and a capacity of 60 million kilowatts, has acted as a catalyst for the recent price increases in the commodity market [6][7] Group 2 - The current commodity price increase is more sentiment-driven than based on fundamentals, with domestic futures prices rising while international prices for copper and oil remain relatively stable [2][11] - There is a significant correlation between commodity futures prices and corporate earnings, leading to a "futures-stock resonance" as investors engage in both markets simultaneously [2][12] - The divergence in basis between different commodity categories indicates that some, like polysilicon and coking coal, are more influenced by trader expectations than current fundamentals, while others, like caustic soda and coke, show a greater risk of price correction [2][13] Group 3 - Future price movements may see opportunities for recovery in commodities that have experienced significant declines, such as alumina, soda ash, and industrial silicon, while those with larger price increases may face greater correction risks [3][15][16] - The assessment of future trends should consider the timing of futures contract expirations, the effectiveness of policy implementations, and the fundamental catalysts for each commodity [3][19] - Without significant improvements in demand, relying solely on supply-side measures to sustain high price levels may not be feasible in the long term [3][19]

Global Asset Price Performance - The Nikkei 225 index led global stock markets with a 4.1% increase, driven by the trade agreement between the US and Japan [1] - Major US stock indices also saw gains, with the S&P 500, Dow Jones, and Nasdaq rising by 1.1%, 0.8%, and 1% respectively [1] - Oil prices declined due to concerns over the outlook for crude oil demand amid stalled trade negotiations between the US and Europe [1] - The US dollar index fell by 0.8% [1] Major Central Bank Monetary Policies - The European Central Bank (ECB) decided to keep interest rates unchanged, indicating a pause in the current rate-cutting cycle [3] - The Federal Reserve is in a quiet period ahead of the FOMC meeting, with market expectations for rate cuts remaining low [3] - The Bank of Japan's deputy governor suggested that the US-Japan trade agreement reduces economic uncertainty, indicating potential for rate hikes later this year [3] US Economic Dynamics - Initial jobless claims in the US slightly decreased to 217,000, indicating stability in the labor market [11] - Core capital goods orders in June showed a negative month-on-month growth of -0.7%, suggesting a decline in business investment [11] - The US manufacturing PMI fell to 49.5, marking the first drop below the neutral line since December, primarily due to decreases in input procurement and inventory spending [11] - A trade framework was established between the US and Japan, reducing tariffs on Japanese goods to 15% and allowing Japan to invest $55 billion in US core industries [11] Economic Dynamics in Other Regions - The Eurozone's service PMI rose to 51.2, and manufacturing PMI increased to 49.8, indicating signs of recovery [25] - Tensions escalated between Thailand and Cambodia, leading to military conflict, which may impact regional stability [25] Upcoming Key Focus - Key economic data releases include US June retail sales and wholesale inventories, Eurozone Q2 GDP data, and Japan's June industrial output [31]