This week marks a pivotal period for global financial markets, with major central banks in the United States, Japan, and the United Kingdom all scheduled to release their latest monetary policy decisions.

The Federal Reserve is expected to announce its interest rate decision early Thursday morning Beijing time. Market consensus suggests the central bank will maintain the current federal funds rate target range between 3.50% and 3.75%, keeping rates unchanged.

The Bank of England will release its decision on Thursday, with widespread expectations that it will hold its benchmark rate steady at 3.75%.

Additionally, the Bank of Japan is projected to keep its key interest rate at 1% during its meeting on Friday.

U.S. Stock Markets Fell Last Week, With the Nasdaq Dropping Over 2%

Last week, growing expectations of Federal Reserve rate hikes weighed on high-valuation technology stocks. Combined with disappointing earnings reports from major U.S. tech firms, the three major U.S. stock indexes all declined. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.38%, while the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq Composite dropped 0.61% and 2.13%, respectively.

Brent Crude Oil Briefly Surpassed $100 Per Barrel Last Week, Recording a Weekly Gain of Nearly 10%

Escalating geopolitical tensions in the Middle East have severely disrupted two of the world's most critical energy transit routes—the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea—nearly bringing shipping to a halt. As a result, Brent crude oil futures briefly breached the $100 per barrel mark last week. For the full week, the main U.S. crude oil futures contract rose 8.27%, while the main Brent crude contract gained 9.85%.

International Gold and Silver Prices Rose Last Week

Last week, international gold and silver prices recorded gains, supported by a falling U.S. dollar index and other factors. The main gold futures contract on the New York Mercantile Exchange posted a weekly increase of 1.29%, while the main silver futures contract gained 4.58%.

Major U.S. Tech Earnings Reports Flood In This Week, Focus on AI Investment Impact on Profits

This week marks the busiest period of the second-quarter earnings season for U.S. stocks. About one-third of the companies in the S&P 500 index are set to report results, including tech giants Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, and Meta. Investors will closely scrutinize whether heavy spending on artificial intelligence is translating into measurable profit growth. Additionally, major U.S. firms such as Visa, Chevron, and Coca-Cola will also release their latest earnings this week.

Key Economic Data Set for Release in the U.S. and Europe This Week

On Thursday, the U.S. will release its second-quarter gross domestic product data. On the same day, the Commerce Department will also publish the June core personal consumption expenditures price index, a key inflation gauge closely watched by the Federal Reserve. The market currently expects a year-over-year increase of 3.3%. In Europe, Germany, France, and the Eurozone will release their second-quarter GDP data on Thursday, followed by the Eurozone's July inflation figures on Friday.