Global shares, oil dip as US sanctions on Iran loom

Global stocks declined on Monday as investors awaited details of potential US sanctions on Iran, while oil prices saw a slight dip ahead of the announcement. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent was set to deliver a press conference later in the day to outline the sanctions that Washington demanded Iran to comply with, which includes relinquishing control over the strategic Strait of Hormuz.

Tech giant Nvidia's earnings report, scheduled for the following Wednesday, drew particular attention due to investors' high expectations. Analysts forecasted the chipmaker's quarterly revenue to nearly double, reaching around $92 billion.

The upcoming Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh's speech in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, on Friday also generated interest, as investors hoped for clarity on the outlook for US interest rates. However, Warsh's aversion to providing forward guidance might disappoint market participants. Bruce Kasman, chief economist at JPMorgan, stated that past chairmen had refrained from offering early hints about Fed decisions during the event.

The Federal Reserve's recent focus on reducing its balance sheet, as well as the attention given to balance sheet matters in the July minutes, were likely topics Warsh would address. As market participants priced in a 40% probability of a Federal Reserve rate hike by September 16 and a full expectation of a move by December, the odds could change depending on weekly US inflation data. Core inflation is expected to stay at 3.3% in July, with the median forecast.

In other news, European stocks experienced a slight gain of 0.1%, while Asian markets, including South Korean shares, saw declines. On Wall Street, S&P 500 futures and Nasdaq futures experienced slight drops of 0.2% and 0.6%, respectively. Alibaba's Hong Kong-listed shares dropped about 8.5% after the company issued a US$10.2 billion share offer, raising concerns about returns from its substantial AI investments.

Samsung Electronics also fell by more than 8% following a record US$79 billion shareholder-return plan that underwhelmed investors expecting a larger allocation to AI-driven cash flows.

Meanwhile, the US dollar strengthened against the Canadian dollar by 0.5% to 1.3832 CAD, following Prime Minister Mark Carney's announcement that Canada would retaliate against US tariffs with its own levies on various goods. The dollar index rose by 0.2% to 98.981, while the euro fell by 0.1% to $1.1665. Gold prices increased by another 0.9% to $4,643 an ounce, marking a 15% gain for the month.