Nissan is cutting production costs for vehicles made in Mexico to offset US tariffs, the company's CEO said.

Daiwa Securities economist Yutaro Suzuki says the BOJ’s Tankan signalled firms expected sentiment to worsen over the next three months, but the latest survey likely under‑states the impact of recent US‑Iran peace talks. A BOJ official said about 70% of respondents submitted their replies before the agreement. Suzuki expects the September Tankan could show cross‑sector improvement as Middle East developments are incorporated into expectations.

Spot gold fell more than 7% in 1H, trading over $1,500 below its intra-year record high. Spot silver dropped about 18%, more than halving from its peak. Spot platinum declined over 24% and spot palladium nearly 25%. LME copper hit an intra-year high and gained 7% in the half; LME aluminium rose 3.7%. Despite retreating from geopolitically driven peaks, oil remains higher YTD—WTI +21.6%, Brent +20%.