South Korea M2 money supply monthly growth 0.6% in April, up from 0.40% in March.

Tungsten hexafluoride (WF6), a key deposition gas for memory and advanced logic chips, has seen sharp price gains as some overseas capacity exited and downstream memory-chip expansion widened the supply gap. An analyst expects 5N-grade WF6 to average roughly 1,760 yuan/kg in June, up about 236% YoY, and cites sustained memory demand as the core support. A Shanghai specialty-gas producer reported a surge in helium demand; factories are running two shifts yet remain undersupplied, and buyers report prices moving daily with risk of immediate unavailability.

German investor sentiment outperformed expectations after markets priced in a rapid end to the Iran conflict, reducing near-term energy-price and inflation risks. ZEW’s economic sentiment index rose to 10.5 in June from -10.2 in May, well above the median forecast of -6; the current-conditions index fell further to -81. ZEW said financial-market experts view the Iran crisis as approaching its end, a dynamic that could ease inflationary pressure and support energy-intensive sectors, households and domestic demand. The Bundesbank expects defence and infrastructure spending to add about 0.5 percentage point to growth, but Germany is still forecast to record only modest expansion in 2026 as the Middle East conflict weakens prospects for a stronger rebound. News of a US-Iran temporary restart of a Strait of Hormuz agreement should relieve market tension, though a promised resumption of trade by the weekend is uncertain and hinges on how quickly oil flows are restored amid divisions among European allies.