Andy Challenger, chief revenue officer and labor-market specialist at US job-data firm Challenger, said the pace of planned layoffs eased markedly in June, roughly in line with planned levels in June last year and consistent with typical summer seasonality.

Business Insider reported Microsoft (MSFT.O) plans to announce another round of layoffs to control costs, affecting thousands of positions across sales, consulting and the Xbox gaming unit. The cut is expected to be smaller than last year and below 2.5% of its roughly 220,000 workforce. The company may announce the move next week, though timing could change; some affected employees will be immediately offered new roles. Last year Microsoft cut about 6,000 jobs in May and a further 9,000 in July. The decisions come as Microsoft steps up AI investment while trimming expenses.

Foreign and domestic appetite for A‑shares rose in 1H; foreign holdings of A‑shares reached a phase high. China's ETF market is expanding rapidly and long-term funds are becoming a material market force. As of June 30, 187 ETFs launched year‑to‑date, issuing 65.487 billion units, the highest number of H1 launches on record. Industry participants said equity and tech ETF issuance hit a phase high in 1H and has become the core vehicle for institutions and retail to access the tech theme.