U.S. nonfarm payrolls rose by 57,000 in June, well below the 110,000 expected. Following the data, market pricing for a Federal Reserve rate hike in September fell to 54% from 66%. Spot gold gained 0.5% to $4,144.83 an ounce, the highest since June 23, and was on track for a 1.2% weekly rise—its first in five weeks. Silver, platinum and palladium also advanced, each headed for weekly gains.

Prime Minister Mark Carney and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith announced plans to advance a Pacific Coast oil pipeline through southern British Columbia along the existing Trans Mountain corridor, with design capacity exceeding 1 million barrels per day and an aim to reach Asian markets. The plan carries federal and provincial political backing while keeping the oil tanker ban off northern British Columbia in place. The Trans Mountain expansion entered service in 2024, and more than two-thirds of crude shipped from Canada’s Pacific Coast is now sold into Asia. Officials say the move is intended to reduce reliance on the U.S. and narrow the discount on Canadian crude.

Xun Ce Technology (3317.HK) said it has priced a placement of new H shares at HK$107.7 per share. The company also announced the issuance of a RMB1.36 billion zero-coupon convertible bond that is denominated in renminbi, settled in U.S. dollars and due 2027. It did not disclose specific uses of proceeds or any major strategic changes, and said there were no adjustments to guidance or regulatory events triggering the move.

CITIC Securities said the average price of praseodymium-neodymium oxide reached 731,000 yuan per tonne in the first half of 2026, up 73.6% year on year. The report attributed the rise to a sharp drop in import and recycled supply, alongside tighter enforcement of China’s rare earth management policies that kept supply constrained. On the demand side, it cited higher output of new energy vehicles and robots as well as strong growth in export orders. The price move reflects a material tightening in the supply-demand balance for a key rare earth raw material.

Brent crude remained under pressure near $71 a barrel this week and is set for a fourth straight weekly decline, the longest losing streak since August 2024. Saudi Arabia’s exports have returned to 90% of prewar levels, with most shipments moving through the Strait of Hormuz, while the UAE and Iran have also boosted supplies amid expectations of looser supply tied to a temporary US-Iran arrangement. Citigroup expects Brent to fall to $60–65 a barrel by year-end.

The Malaysian ringgit strengthened in early trade on Friday, rising to 4.0705/0805 against the US dollar from the previous close. The move followed a sharp downside surprise in US June nonfarm payrolls, which rose by 57,000 versus a 114,000 consensus, alongside downward revisions to April and May. The ringgit also gained against the British pound, Japanese yen, euro, Philippine peso, Indonesian rupiah, Thai baht and Singapore dollar.

Most main futures contracts in China opened higher in early trading, with more gainers than losers. Palladium rose more than 4%, while lithium carbonate and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) gained more than 3%. Platinum, Shanghai silver and methanol climbed more than 2%, and asphalt and Shanghai gold rose nearly 2%, according to Jin10.

In a report released in July 2026, the International Monetary Fund said tokenization could reshape financial settlement and strengthen financial stability. The statement underscores tokenization’s shift from a crypto-industry narrative toward infrastructure increasingly recognized by global financial authorities. The report did not single out specific projects or protocols, but highlighted cross-chain interoperability, compliant anchoring, and coordination with central bank digital currencies (CBDCs).