Market Mood & Geopolitics: Stocks slid as fresh US-Iran strikes near the Strait of Hormuz pushed oil to five-week highs and fanned inflation fears, while a global bond selloff kept pressure on risk assets. Gold Outlook: Goldman Sachs projects gold could reach $4,900/oz by year-end, driven by central bank reserve diversification, while gold-derivative hedging may add volatility. AI Infrastructure Spend: PwC forecasts AI data center investment will hit $31.6T through 2050, with annual capex rising from about $800B (2026) to $1.8T (2050), and power supply emerging as the key constraint. Cloud Reporting Shift: Microsoft will start reporting Azure sales quarterly and reorganize segments into “Agents and Infra” vs “Devices and Consumer,” sharpening comparability with AWS and Google as the AI data center boom accelerates. Energy Deals & Finance: Chevron signed a $7B+ Venezuela investment plan to double output capacity; Yellow Door Energy and Nedbank CIB reached financial close on a 49MW solar park with long-term offtake arrangements. Fraud & Consumer Protection: In the Philippines, Sen. Mark Villar said the Anti-Financial Account Scamming Act is boosting BSP enforcement and victim recovery via its Consumer Account Protection Office. Corporate/Investor Notes: Snowflake reported Q2 FY27 results with product revenue up 37% YoY and raised full-year guidance; Rolls-Royce completed a $1B Indiana upgrade adding engine-test capability. Tokenized Finance: Securitize integrated Paxos-issued USDG into its investor flows via the Global Dollar Network, enabling subscription/redemption through stablecoin rails.