Global FX DATA:

• • • ASIAN MARKET
      
      Asian stocks dropped as the latest escalation in the Sino-U.S. trade war hit Chinese shares, while global bond markets were rattled by increased borrowing by Washington and Japan’s new tolerance for higher yields.

    • GOLD
      
      Global demand for gold fell 6 percent in the first half of this year due mainly to a sharp decline in purchases by exchange traded funds (ETFs), the World Gold Council.
       
  • • OIL
      
      Oil prices rose steadying after losses over the past two days from a surprise increase in U.S. crude inventories and renewed concerns over trade friction between the U.S. and China.     
             
    • DOLLAR
      
      The U.S. dollar held on to gains against a basket of its peers, after the Federal Reserve gave an upbeat assessment of the world’s biggest economy and stayed on course to gradually lift interest rates.
       
    • CRYPTO CURRENCY
      
      Cryptocurrencies prices were mixed. Bithumb, one of South Korea’s largest digital asset exchanges, will stop creating new accounts due to partnership problems with local banks in the country.
       
    • SINGAPORE
      
      DBS Group Holdings Ltd, Southeast Asia’s biggest lender, reported lower-than-expected second-quarter profit, sending its shares to an almost one-month low and raising concerns for the outlook of regional banks.

    • MEXICO
      
      Mexico’s central bank is expected to leave its main interest rate stable after a strong appreciation of the peso cooled inflation pressures and data showed a weakening economy.

    • GERMANY
      
      Siemens reported a slightly better-than-expected industrial profit during its fiscal third quarter as the German engineering group unveiled its new strategy with a trimmed-down number of divisions.

    • US
      
      The U.S. Federal Reserve kept interest rates unchanged but characterized the economy as strong, keeping the central bank on track to increase borrowing costs in September.

    • INDIA
      
      India’s central bank governor raised the prospect of global currency wars as he led policy makers in raising interest rates to the highest in two years to shore up the rupee and tackle inflation pressures in the world’s fastest-growing major economy.

    • CHINA
      
      China’s central bank will fine-tune monetary policy in a “pre-emptive” way to ensure liquidity is reasonably ample, amid heightened trade tension that has stiffened economic headwinds.

    • IRAN
      
      The United States believes Iran is preparing to carry out a major exercise in the Gulf in the coming days, apparently moving up the timing of annual drills amid heightened tensions with Washington.