Erik Schafhauser Zürich

Morning Brew June 30 2026

Morning Brew 1 minute to read

Summary:  Heading to the second half of the year


Good Mornign

Key things to watch:

  • Gold has developed a death cross after falling back below 4,000.
  • The yen is trading near a 40-year low against the U.S. dollar, keeping intervention risk firmly on the radar.
  • Half-year and month-end flows could exaggerate market moves today.
  • China’s PMI beat expectations and returned to expansion.
  • The ECB sounded more dovish, making tomorrow’s HICP print even more important.

U.S. equities rallied strongly, with the S&P 500 gaining 1.16% to 7,439.26, the Nasdaq Composite rising 2.04% to 25,812.52, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average adding 0.57% to 52,172.69. SpaceX jumped 7.2% after Nasdaq said the newly listed company will be added to the Nasdaq 100 on July 7. RBC also raised its 12-month S&P 500 target to 8,150 from 7,900, adding to the constructive equity tone.

Asian markets joined the rally into quarter-end. Japan’s Nikkei gained 1.6% and is on track for a record quarterly rise of more than 38%. South Korea’s chipmaker-driven Kospi rose 3% and is set for an extraordinary second-quarter gain of nearly 71%, having more than doubled year-to-date.

The stronger U.S. dollar remains a key market driver. It has pushed gold toward its largest quarterly decline in more than a decade, while the yen briefly touched a four-decade low around 162.41 per dollar. Japan’s Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama repeated that authorities are ready to respond appropriately to currency moves at any time, keeping intervention risk high.

The USD Index is stable around 101.40, with EUR/USD at 1.1385, USD/JPY at 162.25, and GBP/USD at 1.3230. Gold and silver remain worth watching closely. Gold has fallen back below the 4,000 level and has formed a death cross, with the 50-day moving average crossing below the 200-day moving average.

The ECB may reconsider the currently expected September hike as inflation pressure eases. That makes tomorrow’s HICP release more important than usual, as it could shape the near-term policy narrative.

Expect final position adjustments into half-year and month-end. FX should remain in focus, with the ECB’s tone potentially shifting and Japan still expected to intervene if yen weakness becomes disorderly. Precious metals may remain volatile as technical pressure, dollar strength, and positioning collide.

Trade safely!

  • Tuesday, June 30, 2026
    Swiss KOF , DE Unemployment and Inflation U.S. Consumer Confidence, JOLTS Job Openings, Dallas Fed Texas Retail Outlook Survey
    Nike, Constellation Brands
  • Wednesday, July 1, 2026
    Global Manufacturing PMI, U.S. ISM Manufacturing PMI, U.S. Construction Spending, ADP Employment Report
  • Thursday, July 2, 2026
    U.S. Nonfarm Payrolls, Unemployment Rate, Average Hourly Earnings, Initial Jobless Claims, Factory Orders; U.S. bond market early close ahead of Independence Day
  • Friday, July 3, 2026
    U.S. Independence Day observed — U.S. equity markets closed; liquidity likely thin in Europe

This content is marketing material.

None of the information provided on this website constitutes an offer, solicitation, or endorsement to buy or sell any financial instrument, nor is it financial, investment, or trading advice. Saxo Bank Switzerland and its entities within the Saxo Bank Group provide execution-only services, with all trades and investments based on self-directed decisions. Analysis, research, and educational content is for informational purposes only and should not be considered advice nor a recommendation.

Saxo Bank Switzerland’s content may reflect the personal views of the author, which are subject to change without notice. Mentions of specific financial products are for illustrative purposes only and may serve to clarify financial literacy topics. Content classified as investment research is marketing material and does not meet legal requirements for independent research.

Saxo Bank Switzerland partners with companies that provide compensation for promotional activities conduced on its platform. Additionally, Saxo Bank Switzerland has agreements with certain partners who provide retrocession contingent upon clients purchasing specific products offered by these partners.

While Saxo Bank Switzerland receives compensation from these partnerships, all educational and research content remains focused on providing information to clients.  

Before making any investment decisions, you should assess your own financial situation, needs, and objectives, and consider seeking independent professional advice. Saxo Bank Switzerland does not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of any information provided and assumes no liability for any errors, omissions, losses, or damages resulting from the use of this information.

The content of this website represents marketing material and is not the result of financial analysis or research. It has therefore not been prepared in accordance with directives of the Swiss Bankers Association designed to promote the independence of financial research and is not subject to any prohibition on dealing ahead of the dissemination of the marketing material.

Saxo Bank (Schweiz) AG
The Circle 38
CH-8058
Zürich-Flughafen
Switzerland

Contact Saxo

Switzerland
Switzerland

Saxo is part of the J. Safra Sarasin Group.

All trading carries risk. Losses can exceed deposits on margin products. You should consider whether you understand how our products work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money. To help you understand the risks involved we have put together a general Risk Warning series of Key Information Documents (KIDs) highlighting the risks and rewards related to each product. The KIDs can be accessed within the trading platform. Please note that the full prospectus can be obtained free of charge from Saxo Bank (Switzerland) Ltd. or the issuer.

This website can be accessed worldwide however the information on the website is related to Saxo Bank (Switzerland) Ltd. All clients will directly engage with Saxo Bank (Switzerland) Ltd. and all client agreements will be entered into with Saxo Bank (Switzerland) Ltd. and thus governed by Swiss Law. 

The content of this website represents marketing material and has not been notified or submitted to any supervisory authority.

If you contact Saxo Bank (Switzerland) Ltd. or visit this website, you acknowledge and agree that any data that you transmit to Saxo Bank (Switzerland) Ltd., either through this website, by telephone or by any other means of communication (e.g. e-mail), may be collected or recorded and transferred to other Saxo Bank Group companies or third parties in Switzerland or abroad and may be stored or otherwise processed by them or Saxo Bank (Switzerland) Ltd. You release Saxo Bank (Switzerland) Ltd. from its obligations under Swiss banking and securities dealer secrecies and, to the extent permitted by law, data protection laws as well as other laws and obligations to protect privacy. Saxo Bank (Switzerland) Ltd. has implemented appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect data from unauthorized processing and disclosure and applies appropriate safeguards to guarantee adequate protection of such data.

Apple, iPad and iPhone are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. App Store is a service mark of Apple Inc.