Market Trends & Geopolitical Risks - Asia is expected to open cautiously due to fatigue in Wall Street's rally and ongoing geopolitical risks [1] - The market is closely watching Asia tech, especially NVIDIA's suppliers, after NVIDIA's all-time highs [2] - The Hong Kong Monetary Authority intervened by buying $1.2 billion of local currency to defend the currency peg [3][13] - President Trump is considering naming the next Fed Chair early, potentially undermining Chair Powell [3][4] - The U S will hold a meeting with Iran next week, but the extent of damage to Iranian nuclear facilities remains uncertain [5][24][25] - Trade truce deadlines are approaching, creating uncertainty about the impact of unresolved tariff issues on inflation [35] Monetary Policy & Currency Dynamics - Markets anticipate that Trump naming a Fed Chair successor earlier could undermine Fed autonomy and lead to a dovish chair, impacting the U S dollar [18][35] - The broader dollar trajectory is for dollar weakness [14] - The Hong Kong dollar is at risk of falling out of its peg against the U S dollar, necessitating intervention [15] - The PBOC is helping to drive down benchmark borrowing costs in Hong Kong, creating an arbitrage opportunity that is pushing down the Hong Kong dollar against the U S dollar [16][17] Company Specific News - CATL is prioritizing overseas expansion due to irrational competition and price wars in China's EV market [1][35] - Zero acquired Melio, a payments platform, for $2.5 billion to bolster its U S offering and capture more market share [37][38] - Xiaomi is launching its first electric SUV, the YU7, and investors are closely watching the pricing and initial consumer reactions [56][57][58]