Private fund data provider Simuwang said that as of June 23, 2026, the number of securities-category private fund managers overseeing at least CNY10 billion in AUM reached 141, setting a new historical high.

The euro slid to its lowest level since August after weak economic data and dovish comments from ECB President LAGARDE, prompting traders to pare back rate‑hike bets. June showed contraction in German private‑sector activity and in French business activity; the euro hit an intraday low on the prints. Option markets show the most bearish euro positioning in over three months. LAGARDE said she did not see a need for a more hawkish ECB response to spillovers from the Iran war, a stance that contrasts with stronger inflation signals from Fed chair KEVIN WARSH last week. ING currency strategist Francesco Pesole said LAGARDE's unusually dovish language is significant because the ECB had spent the past three months largely defending market hawkish expectations.

South Korean and Japanese equities plunged after a sudden reversal in global AI sentiment and macro developments. In Seoul, Samsung Electronics fell 7.4% and SK Hynix dropped 10.1% intraday; the two memory-chip makers account for roughly half of KOSPI market capitalization. KOSPI slid more than 9% intraday and triggered a 20-minute trading halt — the fourth such pause this year. In Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 fell over 3%, led by SoftBank and Kioxia, down about 10% and 14% respectively. Both markets had recently hit multiple record highs on AI optimism, progress in US–Iran talks and expectations of BOJ tightening; analysts warn the chip names’ rapid run-up has left valuations elevated and exposed to semiconductor cyclical risk.