Gold prices fell 11.7% in June, marking a fourth consecutive monthly decline. Over the same period, central banks were net buyers of 41 tonnes of gold, indicating that institutional demand remained resilient. Markets, however, focused on rising expectations of Federal Reserve rate hikes and the lack of a major safe-haven bid tied to Middle East tensions, which kept pressure on prices. The figures reflect the latest monthly official central bank gold-purchase tally, offering a direct read on physical supply and demand.

On July 2, South Korea’s KOSPI fell below 8,000 shortly after the open, triggering the Korea Exchange’s program-trading circuit breaker. Program trading in KOSPI-listed shares was suspended for five minutes. The decline was driven mainly by heavy selling in semiconductor stocks.

Brent crude has fallen about 40% from its March peak near $120 a barrel and was trading at $72.25 on Wednesday. The drop has erased the market’s entire war premium. Prices have returned to a prewar technical support range. The move reflects a repricing after the Iran-U.S. diplomatic impasse failed to trigger further supply shocks.