📈 Global Markets Ease Ahead of Tech Earnings; Oil Slips on Supply Boost

• Market Overview: Asian share markets eased on Monday as caution took hold prior to the AI sector's crucial earnings season. Japan's Nikkei fell 1.4%, South Korea's index dropped 1.2% (though remaining up 90% YTD), and MSCI's broadest Asia-Pacific index outside Japan edged down 0.2%. US futures trended slightly positive, with Nasdaq futures adding 0.7%. • Energy & Inflation: Brent crude fell 0.5% to near four-month lows at $71.79 a barrel, while U.S. crude lost 0.3% to $68.47. The drop follows an OPEC+ agreement to increase output targets by 188,000 barrels per day from August, alongside stable shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. • Interest Rates & Forex: Easing energy costs and soft U.S. payroll data led markets to scale back near-term Federal Reserve rate hike expectations, with futures pricing a 78% chance of unchanged rates on July 29. Conversely, New Zealand's central bank is expected to raise its 2.25% cash rate by 25 basis points on Wednesday. The US dollar index steadied at 100.880, while the yen hovered near 40-year peaks at 161.79 per dollar. • Corporate Earnings: Tech profits remain a core focus driven by global AI demand. Sector leader Samsung Electronics is projected to announce an 18-fold increase in operating profit, reaching an estimated 86 trillion won (US$ 56.35 Bn) for the April-to-June quarter. • National Context Note: The provided text contains global macroeconomic data and does not contain explicit details regarding Sri Lankan domestic sectors such as tea, apparel & textiles, or ICT/BPM.